A

strong>April 13, Onlone

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono says unemployment has declined, as shown by employment statistics in the country.

Yudhoyono said based on data from the Indonesian Central Statistics Agency, as of Aug. 10, 2010, the Indonesian labor force reached 116.5 million people of a population of 237 million people.

“This means the labor force has increased by 2.7 million people compared to the previous year,” Yudhoyono said in his speech at the tripartite and regional tripartite institution consultation meeting at the State Palace on Wednesday.

Yudhoyono added that the number of employed people stood at 108.2 million people, up by 3.3 million people compared to the previous year.

“Thus, from the 2.7 million increase, as many as 3.3 million have been absorbed. This means that unemployment has declined. We must continue this trend,” he said as reported by tribunnews.com.

He said the industrial, agricultural and service sectors must absorb a majority of the unemployed.

Yudhoyono added that the central government and administrations must ensure the number of workers absorbed was larger than the number of graduates from educational institutions.

Your comments:

I have tried to utilise the information gathered by the Central Statistics Agency in the past and found
it very inaccurate. An office full of lazy officials — How can you use their data?

Jonah
Jakarta

It is true. Factories are hanging out more banners looking for workers. This clearly indicates that it is difficult to find workers to keep production going.

Indonesia can now safely bring back the foreign workers who find it difficult in other countries.

Many youngsters from villages are moving to cities. This is also creating a problem for farming.

It is about time to find solution to encourage farming. Farmers are the backbone of this country. If no food is grown, cities will go hungry.

Please think of encouraging farm communities; think of incentives for farmers. Give them subsidised machinery with longer payment terms.

Old farmers are now aging and also not keen to go to the farms, because they get assistance from their children working in cities.

This trend will continue and make food shortages in the near future.

Indonesia is one of the major exporters of agriculture produce.

If there is no farming, exports will also drop and need to import at high prices from countries like Vietnam, India and China.

Let us start early to prepare ourselves for the anticipated food shortage in the coming years.

Chrislee
Kendari

Of course unemployment has declined! They are employed but they cannot survive and make ends meet! So absurd!

They are employed yet in poverty, of course unless you agree with the government BPS that US$1.25 is the right yardstick to use and that people can off that amount.

Salau
Yogyakarta