Govt pledges creation of more jobs

JAKARTA: The Minister for Manpower and Transmigration, Jacob Nuwa Wea, has called on relevant government agencies and business entities to initiate action to handle the burgeoning problem of unemployment in the country.

The minister said on Monday that the standing unemployment figures had reached an alarming level at 38 million unemployed.

"The figure is worrying as the new work force entering the labor market reaches 2.5 million per year," he told reporters.

He said the government had sought every avenue to deal with unemployment, including his ministry's plan to create up to 1.5 million jobs this year.

The ministry has also set the target of exporting between 650,000 and 700,000 workers this year.

The minister hoped business entities would follow in the government's footsteps and create more jobs. -- Antara