Poverty Rate In South Solok Is Decreasing, But Unemployment Is Increasing

Illustration (Irfan Meidianto/VOI)

JAKARTA - Head of the Regional Development Planning Agency (Bappeda) of South Solok Regency, West Sumatra, Yul Amri Yunus said the unemployment rate in the area in 2020 rose to 5.62 percent, while the poverty rate dropped to 7.15 percent.

"South Solok unemployment rate in 2019 is 4.91 percent while the poverty rate in 2019 at 7.33 percent," he said during the initial discussion of the District RPJMD, in Padang Aro, as reported by Antara, Thursday, May 20.

He said, south Solok residents aged 15 years and above who work according to the most employment in the agricultural, forestry, plantation, and fisheries sectors as much as 48.30 percent.

As for the ratio of income inequality in South Solok in 2020 at 0.307 is below the province of 0.305.

For per capita income of South Solok in 2020 also decreased to Rp32.32 million per year while in 2019 amounted to Rp32.58 million.

Meanwhile, south Solok per capita expenditure in 2020 amounted to Rp10,325 million under the province which reached Rp10,733 million.

In order to reduce unemployment, South Solok's strategy is to improve the quality and capacity of the workforce and create new jobs.

In order for the strategy to succeed, South Solok will improve the competence and expertise of the workforce and grow entrepreneurship for the productive age population based on regional excellence.

As for increasing per capita income by increasing the production of leading commodities in the plantation sector, food crops, horticulture, livestock, and fisheries.

"The flagship program of strengthening the local economy is one cow one family," he said.

In addition, it also encourages the competitiveness of cooperatives and MSMEs to support the populist economy.

He added that the projected unemployment rate of South Solok in 2021 is 5.44 percent and the poverty rate is 7.32 percent.