The Central Java Manpower and Transmigration Office said that in the midst of implementing PPKM to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases, it turned out to be a blessing for companies in Central Java. Many companies in Central Java are flooded with orders from abroad, because other Asian countries have implemented lockdowns.

Head of the Central Java Manpower and Transmigration Office Sakina Rosellasari said that several labor-intensive companies in Central Java were blessed, because a number of countries in the Asian region implemented lockdowns. He made the statement when contacted yesterday.

According to Sakina, several labor-intensive companies in Central Java that are inundated with orders from abroad include footwear and garment or textile companies.

Sakina explained that because of the flood of orders from abroad, the company opened many job vacancies. The addition of workers by opening job vacancies is to meet requests from abroad in the midst of a pandemic situation.

“But on the one hand it was flooded with orders. Companies that are abroad, for example in Vietnam, Malaysia and India, are in lockdown, but we are still operating. So, when there is PPKM, it will continue to operate but in accordance with regulations. This means that if it is critical or essential, there will be additional shifts and so on. This is an effort to keep the company productive. On the one hand, it turns out that opening job vacancies is also labor intensive,” said Sakina.

Sakina further explained that her party knows that many companies open job vacancies through the E-Makaryo application. The application is an online job market platform, which can be used by employers or job seekers.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the open unemployment rate in Central Java to fluctuate. Before the pandemic there were around 800 thousand, and in 2020 it increased to 1.2 million people. Then in the first quarter of 2021, it fell by 1.1 million people," he concluded.