KOTA KINABALU – A forecast of the number of unemployed in Sabah will hit 250,000 by 2025 is greatly exaggerated, said the state’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Minister Datuk Yakub Khan, today.
He said the local news reports quoting Sabah and Labuan Skills Training Centre-National Dual Training System Association claiming the state will hit such numbers in three years was nothing more than mere perception.
Although the unemployment rate in the state is high and worrying at present, the sectors are now reopening slowly and hirings have commenced. This will reduce the number of jobless in the state.
“This is just a mere perception. Our state manpower department has its own figure.
“Such prediction is done solely on perception and without any proper studies, compared to our department which is doing studies on the issue at all levels.
“I am certain and believe the figure declared by the association is much higher compared to the ones done with our department,” said Yakub dismissing the association’s findings.
The training centre’s president Nelson Mosinoh said Sabah had the highest youth unemployment rate in the country during the first quarter of 2022 at 9.1%, or 190,000 without work.
“Add this to the current statistic of 190,000 unemployed youths, and this could easily touch the 250,000-mark by 2024,” he said.
The current jobless rate in Sabah has risen drastically from 8% in 2020 to 9% or 184,200 individuals in the fourth quarter of 2019.
To this end, Yakub said there’s also no telling in detail right now as the jobless in Sabah are perhaps doing freelance jobs, selling food or even becoming e-hailing drivers. – The Vibes, May 27, 2022
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