Indonesian workers still in high demand
JAKARTA (JP): Despite Malaysia's ongoing deportation of thousands of illegal workers, Indonesians are still in high demand in the international labor market, says an official.
Director General of Labor Placement Jack Iskandarsyah said Indonesia was still exporting 2,000 to 3,000 semi-skilled workers each month, with an average annual salary of US$2,500.
"The number of Indonesian workers overseas, including illegal workers, has reached 2.1 million. The country gains about US$6 million annually in foreign exchange from labor exports," he told The Jakarta Post Monday.
Countries importing Indonesian workers are Malaysia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Netherlands, Germany and the United States.
Employment usually open to Indonesian workers are the positions of domestic help, gardeners and jobs in the plantation, electronic, health, fishing and construction fields.
Iskandarsyah said most workers had completed junior high school, were at least semi-skilled and able to speak English. They are also given relevant information on the countries to which they are sent.
Saudi Arabia deported 24,000 Indonesian illegal workers last year, while Malaysia is in the process of repatriating at least 7,000 Indonesians who entered legally to search for jobs.
About 2,000 of 17,000 Indonesians working in South Korea were there illegally and would be brought home soon to prevent them from being punished by South Korean authorities. The South Korean immigration law threats a fine of 3,000 won for foreigners entering without official documents.
Iskandarsyah said the government had no special plans or programs for the illegal workers deported by Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.
"Upon arriving home, they are treated as job seekers ... (or) they are expected to create their own place in the informal sector or join the government-sponsored labor-intensive program," he said.
Unemployment has risen to nine million following Malaysia's and Saudi Arabia's deportation of 36,000 Indonesian illegal workers and the dismissal of 350,000 workers from over 450 companies at home.
The situation is a consequence of the monetary crisis that has rocked Indonesia for the past nine months.
Indonesia's labor force is 88 million, its population currently stands at 203 million.
Besides weak government supervision, Iskandarsyah blamed unauthorized labor brokers for the soaring number of illegal workers.
"Many job seekers wanting to work overseas prefer unauthorized labor brokers to official labor export companies because they are given 'financial guarantees' until they are gainfully employed," he said. (rms)