National Economic Recovery Program Impacting More Workers Beyond Those Affected by Covid-19

JAKARTA – The government’s National Economic Recovery Program (PEN) has begun to affect the millions of Indonesian workers impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, the benefits of the labor sector’s recovery have benefitted more people than the number of working age residents impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

According to Manpower Minister (Meteri Ketenagakerjaan/Menaker) Ida Fauziyah, the PEN program has now provided assistance to 32,421,400 people. The program itself provides assistance programs such as laborer wage subsidies, which have been given out to over 12 million people. Other programs include the Pre-Employment Card program, which has affected over 5 million, microbusiness assistance (12 million) and labor-intensive programs at ministries and public institutions (2.6 million). 

“Adding to that, the Kemnaker plans to assist another 2.1 million workers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic,” Minister Ida said during a working meeting (raker) with the House of Representatives’ (DPR) Commission IX at the DPR’s headquarters in Jakarta, Monday (3/15). 

The Kemnaker is currently running 10 specific programs with the intention to help recover the Covid-19 impacted labor sector, with specific focus on providing blended training methods at vocational institutions and industry internship programs. These programs have been attended by 121,049 people and 19,475 people respectively. 

Other programs include productivity training for workers (11,346 participants), competency certification (749,307), domestic work placements (836,181), foreign work placements (112,700), entrepreneurial training (212,260), business incubation (4,080), labor intensive programs (106,014) and the healthy worker movement (24,000). 

When added up, all of the Kemnaker’s and the PEN’s initiatives have assisted up to 34,617,852 people.  “This number has exceeded the number of working age residents affected by Covid-19, which was tallied at 29.12 million,” Minister Ida said. 

She added that from the 29.12 million recorded workers, 2.56 million became unemployed due to the pandemic, while those who stopped work due to Covid-19 totaled to 1.77 million. Meanwhile, shortened hour workers made up the majority of the number, with 24.03 million. 

“Indonesia has 203.97 million people of working age. Up to 14.28% of that number were affected by Covid-19, and also 20.51% of the official workforce,” she said.