Jakarta (ANTARA) - Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah has said that through the transformation pursued by her ministry, Indonesia's open unemployment rate, as per February 2024 data, has reached 4.8 percent — its lowest level since the reformation era.The minister delivered the remarks at the Presidential Palace complex, Jakarta, after receiving the Bintang Mahaputera Adipradana award from President Joko Widodo.
"We have made many forms of transformation and one that made me happy is that based on Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data in February 2024, our unemployment rate stood at 4.8 percent, the lowest since the reformation era," she said.
She affirmed that the award from President Widodo has made her even more motivated to make the best contribution to the nation.
According to Fauziyah, her ministry is also continuing to strive to reduce the unemployment rate by establishing intensive dialogues with employers and workers.
She has asked employers not to easily lay off employees, but to implement other options amid the weakening global economy.
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Regarding the many layoffs in the textile industry, the minister noted that the weakening global economy has led to a fall in textile industry exports. The declining business expansion in the textile sector has had an impact on the availability of jobs.
"Then, I think, the behavior of buyers has also shifted now. Technologies in textile factories also need adjustments with the technological needs and developments," she said.
Fauziyah was one of the 64 figures who received the Bintang Mahaputera Adipradana award from President Widodo on Wednesday.
The other awardees included ministers and deputy ministers in the Onward Indonesia Cabinet, high state institution officials, leaders of government agencies, military and police officials, professionals, and cultural figures.