Forests in Java have been threatened by high population pressure, especially by demand of agricultural land. Tumpangsari (TPS) reforestation system makes agricultural land demand and production forest compatible. However, location and area of TPS are determined by forest management plan, and from the local people's view, it can be assumed that the opportunity to participate in TPS is uncertain. This study aims to clarify the role of TPS in the household economy through interviews to 77 households in Pemalang district, Central Java. According to forest management reports, it is presumed that state forest was once open for TPS cultivation on a large scale 40-50 years ago in surveyed area. After the period, opportunity had been rare by the end of 1990s. The results of interviews suggest that TPS remained one of the options to support the livelihood and the flexibility of the informal sector both in the urban areas and in the village solved the uncertainty.