Majority of Indonesian Workers Are Sandwich Generation, Minister Muhadjir Says

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy stated that the majority of workers in the country are among the sandwich generation. He made the statement during a speech at the International Labor Day Celebration event in Jakarta, on Monday, May 1.

“I haven't found the exact figures yet, but we can make sure that the majority of our workers are the sandwich generation,” Muhadjir said as quoted from Antara.

He explained that the sandwich generation is a term for people who have the responsibility of taking care of their aging parents and young children. The sandwich generation, he opined, has a high vulnerability to falling into the poor category because when they are laid off, those whom they support will suffer the adverse impact.

“Our extreme poverty rate is still high. Around 6 million of our population is extremely poor,” Muhadjir added.

However, in order to anticipate this, Muhadjir presented five schemes that have been prepared by the government through the social security agency for workers dubbed BPJS Ketenagakerjaan, viz. work accident insurance, death insurance, pension insurance, old age insurance, and job loss insurance.

Additionally, those who have been laid off can take reskilling and upskilling programs through the Pre-Employment Card or Kartu Prakerja. “It should be going well systematically now. But it’s about the education and socialization to workers that there are packages that can be taken,” Muhadjir concluded.

RENO EZA MAHENDRA

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