Jakarta (ANTARA) - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin said that the push for foreign investment and the implementation of vocational programs are part of the government's efforts to reduce the unemployment rate."We boost investment so that the workforce can be absorbed. We continue to intensify foreign investment so that there are improvements every year," VP Amin said while giving a press statement here on Wednesday.
He made the statement in response to complaints from the productive-age population about difficulties in finding jobs. As per Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data, 16 percent of unemployed people in Indonesia are aged 25–29 years, which makes them a part of the productive age group.
Responding to this, VP Amin assured that the government is striving to increase the employment rate and improve the workforce's skills through various kinds of training and vocational education so that they can match the needs of employers.
He also encouraged job seekers to obtain skills based on job requirements so that they can be recruited by the industry.
"Because nowadays, the industry is capital-intensive and technology-intensive, and if they do not have the (skills), they cannot be absorbed," Amin said.
In addition, the government is continuing to develop the creative economy sector, with the expectation that the younger generation will not only be interested in formal work, but also in entrepreneurship and agriculture.
"We also encourage the community's creative economy through the smallholder credit program in regions. We also revive idle land for those who want to farm with more modern methods," Amin said.
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Earlier, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Muhadjir Effendy, said that Indonesia has witnessed improvements in its manpower situation, as evidenced by a decline in the national unemployment rate.
Effendy affirmed that an increase in the unemployment rate in a city does not reflect the national manpower situation.
He highlighted the need to implement empowerment programs in major cities to create job opportunities, and thereby lower the unemployment rate in urban regions.