RI to send more workers abroad<\/p>\n
Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A lack of job creation at home due to slower-than-expected
\neconomic growth has prompted the government to intensify efforts
\nto export workers as a solution to the unemployment problem.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Alwi Shihab told
\nThe Jakarta Post on Wednesday the government expected to send at
\nleast 300,000 skilled and unskilled workers overseas this year in
\na bid to help reduce the massive unemployment rate at home.<\/p>\n
\"Our economic growth this year is not expected to be strong
\nenough to reduce the unemployment rate. To offset this, we will
\ntry to send more workers overseas,\" he said at the State Palace.<\/p>\n
The government, Alwi said, is preparing to set up a national
\ncertification agency to provide workers the skills and
\ncertification necessary for finding work overseas.<\/p>\n
However, producing skilled migrant workers could be a daunting
\ntask. According to data from the Ministry of Manpower and
\nTransmigration, last year some 55 percent of the country's labor
\nforce were elementary school graduates and only 5 percent
\ngraduated from high school or university.<\/p>\n
Alwi said laid off workers from the manufacturing sector were
\ncandidates for the overseas job market because they had
\nexperience and job skills.<\/p>\n
A recent report from the manpower ministry said 22,647 workers
\nin the formal sector lost their jobs in the first quarter of this
\nyear as companies shut down or downsized.<\/p>\n
According to the ministry, more than 618,445 workers have been
\nlaid off since 2000, contributing to the skyrocketing
\nunemployment figure of about 11.3 million people, or about 10
\npercent of the total workforce.<\/p>\n
The unemployment figure includes this year's fresh batch of
\ngraduates from junior high school, high school and university,
\nestimated at about three million.<\/p>\n
The government has forecast economic growth this year of 5.5
\npercent, higher than the 5.13 percent growth of last year. A 1
\npercent growth in the economy translates into about 400,000 new
\njobs, meaning 5.5 percent growth will provide about 2.2 million
\njobs, not enough to cover the new graduates entering the job
\nmarket.<\/p>\n
State Minister for National Development Planning Sri Mulyani
\nIndrawati acknowledged the government might not be able to meet
\nits target of creating three million new jobs this year.<\/p>\n
She said the country's economy needed to grow by at least 6.6
\npercent to reduce the unemployment figure to below 10 percent
\nthis year.<\/p>\n
During the presidential campaign, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
\npledged to create 15 million new jobs during his five-year term,
\nor three million jobs annually. He based this promise on the
\nassumption of annual economic growth of over 6.6 percent.<\/p>\n
Because the unemployed in the country do not receive
\ngovernment assistance, observers fear the huge numbers of people
\nwho are out of work could turn to crime in order to survive,
\ndisturbing national security.<\/p>",
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