Jakarta, April 21, 2020 (ANTARA) - The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has
triggered massive layoffs globally, including Indonesia, hammering
industries, particularly in the tourism sector, and forcing closures of
schools, hotels, restaurants, amusement centers, and factories, and
people to stay home.
The Indonesian government has projected unemployment in Indonesia to rise by five million in the face of the economic pressure caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.
The forecast aligns with Indonesia's economic growth in its worst-case scenario that is expected to contract, according to Head of the Fiscal Policy Agency (BKF) of the Financial Ministry Febrio Nathan Kacaribu.
In the baseline scenario, the national economic growth would decline to 2.3 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), and this would result in an additional 2.9 million becoming jobless, he had stated on April 20, 2020.
The government will make all-out efforts to maintain economic stability amid pressure from the COVID-19 pandemic to contain the impact on the nation’s unemployment rate, he remarked.
Earlier, Chief of the Task Force for Acceleration of COVID-19 Response Doni Monardo noted that some 1.6 million workers were laid off and forced to take unpaid leave due to the pandemic.
"Reports from ministers show that 1.6 million workers have been laid off and forced to take unpaid leave, and that pre-employment cards must be issued to them soon," he stated following a limited meeting led by President Joko Widodo at the Merdeka Palace on April 7.
The Indonesian government has projected unemployment in Indonesia to rise by five million in the face of the economic pressure caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.
The forecast aligns with Indonesia's economic growth in its worst-case scenario that is expected to contract, according to Head of the Fiscal Policy Agency (BKF) of the Financial Ministry Febrio Nathan Kacaribu.
In the baseline scenario, the national economic growth would decline to 2.3 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), and this would result in an additional 2.9 million becoming jobless, he had stated on April 20, 2020.
The government will make all-out efforts to maintain economic stability amid pressure from the COVID-19 pandemic to contain the impact on the nation’s unemployment rate, he remarked.
Earlier, Chief of the Task Force for Acceleration of COVID-19 Response Doni Monardo noted that some 1.6 million workers were laid off and forced to take unpaid leave due to the pandemic.
"Reports from ministers show that 1.6 million workers have been laid off and forced to take unpaid leave, and that pre-employment cards must be issued to them soon," he stated following a limited meeting led by President Joko Widodo at the Merdeka Palace on April 7.
