The Minister Of Manpower Claims 29 Million People Affected By COVID-19

Menaker Ida Fauziyah (Photo: Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - Minister of Manpower (Menaker) Ida Fauziyah revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic in a year has had a tremendous impact, especially in the labor sector.

She said that there were 29.12 million workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with nearly 3 million people forced to become unemployed.

"Central Bureau of Statistics data shows that 29.12 million people have been affected by the pandemic against the working-age population. And 2.56 million people have experienced

unemployment due to COVID-19", said Ida, in the Meeting Room of Commission IX, Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Monday, March 15.

In addition, she continued, there were also 760.000 or 0.76 million non-workforce people who were also affected. Then 1.77 million people were forced to temporarily not work due to various restrictions due to coronavirus.

"Meanwhile, 24.03 million people work with reduced working hours", she said.

Furthermore, Ida said the Ministry of Manpower had issued a number of policies and regulations to reduce the soaring unemployment rate. Among them are Government Regulations to circular letters.

"We issued government regulations 49 of 2020 to adjust the social security program (Jamsostek) contributions during the COVID-19 disaster", she said.

According to her, the national economic recovery program in the workforce cluster that has been implemented has protected more than the number of workers affected by the pandemic.

She claimed that the government's efforts to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 had provided a positive signal for the economy and employment.

"Efforts to mitigate the impact of this pandemic in the labor sector have targeted 32.5 million people. This exceeds the number of workers affected", she explained.

In detail, she added, as many as 12.26 million people were assisted through wage subsidies. Then the Pre-Work Cards (Pra Kerja) for 5.6 million people, Productive Assistance for Micro Businesses for 12 million people, and labor-intensive programs in ministries and institutions for 2.6 million people.

Nevertheless, she said there was a fairly good economic growth figure, even though there was a minus in this quarter. "The data has been strengthened," said Ida.