Contract workers increase

SEMARANG: The number of people going abroad to work from Central Java has steadily increased over the past several months, Antara reported yesterday.

Head of the provincial manpower office, Andi Usman, said 2,843 Central Javanese had left Indonesia over the period between last December and February to try their luck in other countries.

He said 788 had left in December, 807 in January and 1,248 in February, adding that the number of workers leaving the country from Central Java totaled 18,329 over recent years.

Of that total, 16,184 are women and 2,145 are men, he said. Most work in the agricultural, industrial and construction sectors or serve as domestic helpers.

He noted that the increase in the number of Central Javanese working abroad was normal because people in the province often took advantage of job opportunities in other countries.

"It may also be due to the monetary crisis since it has caused a rise in unemployment," he added.

Singapore tops the list of the workers' destinations, followed by Malaysia, Middle Eastern countries, Brunei, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong.