Unemployment Rate In Central Java Soars To 1.21 Million People

Illustration (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) of Central Java Province noted that until August 2020 there were 1.21 million people or 6.48 people in this province unemployed.

Head of Central Java BPS Sentot Bangun Widoyono said there was an increase of 396 thousand people or 2.04 percent compared to the same period last year.

"The total workforce in Central Java reaches 18.75 million people. Of that number, 17.54 million are employed, 1.21 million are unemployed," Sentot said during a press conference quoted by Antara, Thursday, November 5.

Apart from the increase in the number of unemployed, BPS also noted a decrease in the number of people working by 66 thousand people.

Of the two categories of working people, he continued, the decline occurred in the full employment category which reached 1.23 million people during the past year.

Full-time workers are people who work a minimum of 35 hours a week.

Meanwhile, part-time workers and underemployed workers were divided by 3.34 and 3.47 percent, respectively.

Meanwhile, seen from the distribution, the unemployment rate in urban areas reached 7.73 percent, while in rural areas it was 5.19 percent, said Sentot Bangun Widoyono.

According to Sentot, the increase in the number of unemployed is due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to him, in general there are 3.97 million workers affected by this pandemic.

Apart from causing unemployment, he said, COVID-19 also resulted in a reduction in working hours for 3.19 million workers of this working age.

"If viewed from the place of residence, there are 1.9 million workers in urban areas who are affected, while in rural areas there are 1.29 million workers who are affected," he said.