The open unemployment rate in Indonesia by the end of 2007 is expected to decline to 9.9 percent of the total work force compared with that in 2006 reaching 10.4 percent of the total work force (106.3 million people), an official said.

"It is expected that new jobs can be created, not only with the government budget but also with investment, for 2.1 million people, " Bambang Widianto, deputy state minister for national development planning and head of the National Development Planning Board ( Bappenas), said.

The creation of 2.1 million jobs was the maximum figure of the economic growth predicted at 6.3 percent in 2007, Antara news agency quoted the official as saying on Sunday.

Bambang said the new work force in 2007 would reach 1.8 million. Though this is lower than that of new jobs, the open unemployment rate would merely drop slightly because there are still many in previous years.

He admitted that the ministry had difficulties in solving open unemployment problems. Moreover, half of employed people who work less than 35 hours per week reaching 12 million also created problems.

"It is for the first time in 2006 that the rate dropped compared to that in the previous years. It is an indication that the government's measures are on the right track," Bambang added.

Source: Xinhua