VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesian Minister of Finance, Sri Mulyani Indrawati said that during the economic recovery trend from the Covid-19 pandemic, there are 2.61 million new jobs. She said the unemployment rate increased in August 2020 into 7.07 percent. However, it decreased into 6.26 percent in February 2021. This absorption is faster than the number of jobseekers that increased 1.59 million in the same period. That was stated by Minister Sri Mulyani in the House of Representatives' plenary session in Jakarta on Monday (31/05).

She further stated that new jobs and less unemployment are some of many indicators of improving people's welfare. She also said that previously, the people's welfare improvement and human resource quality increase were hampered, especially in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The people’s improving welfare indicators were also seen from Indonesian Human Development Index in 2020 that rose 71.92 in 2019 into 71.94. The Gini ratio also increased in 2020 into 0.385. Farmers and fishermen welfare also experienced similar changes.

Farmers Exchange Value that decreased into under 100 in May until June 2020 had climbed up again into above 103 until April 2021. Fishermen Exchange value also rose into 103.70 in April 2021.

Minister Sri Mulyani then hoped people's welfare could improve further in 2021 and 2022 through various policies in the Covid-19 handling programs. She also affirmed that the National Economic Recovery until now has succeeded in holding pandemic's negative impacts in 2020 and 2021. Therefore, this moment should be used to increase the household income, especially the underprivileged and vulnerable groups. The poverty is also hoped to return into a single digit.