Job seekers outnumber vacancies

BOJONEGORO, East Java: Unemployment remains a major concern in this small East Java town, with the number of registered unemployed 13 times higher than available job vacancies.

"The number of job seekers in April alone reached 10,542, while there were only 799 available vacancies," the head of the local manpower office, Widodo, said on Thursday.

Antara reported 6,646 of the job seekers were men, and that over 60 percent of the total unemployed were between the ages of 20 and 30.

Widodo said that to deal with the glut of unemployed his office was initiating training programs which would help people open their own small businesses. (mds)