Jobseekers outpace jobs

Jobseekers outpace jobs

DILI, East Timor: The size of East Timor's workforce has been
increasing at an annual rate of 3.74 in the last five years while
the number of job opportunities are increasing at a pace of 3.37
percent, according to head of the Manpower Office Anton Setyono.

Anton explained that the East Timor work force increases
rapidly largely because a greater number of local women are now
opting to work. Five years ago, only 44 percent of the local
adult women were working while now 75 percent of them do, the
Antara news agency reported.

To overcome the unemployment problem, the Manpower Office is
organizing vocational training courses and is working with the
private sector to provide the facilities as well as
apprenticeship program, he said. (emb)