The Minister of Labour, Jobs and Employment, Dr Rashid Pelpuo, says the government is not setting a fixed employment target for this year but is focusing its job creation efforts on about 3 million people who are either unemployed or dissatisfied with their current work.

Speaking in an interview on JoyNews’ AM Show on Monday, January 12, Dr Pelpuo was asked whether his ministry had a specific number of jobs it hoped to create this year. In response, he said the nature of unemployment makes it difficult to give a precise figure.

“We will not be able to give a targeted number. He explained that even if current unemployment is addressed within a year, new job seekers will continue to enter the labour market. “If we solve it this year, next year, new people are going to finish university. They are going to be asking for more.”

Dr Pelpuo said government has therefore looked at the broader picture of the labour market and identified a group of people who need urgent attention.

“We have taken note that we need to make sure 3 million people are employed,” he said, clarifying that this should not be seen as a formal target. “I’m not saying that’s our target. That’s the 3 million people that we need to employ.”

He explained that this group includes people who are completely unemployed as well as those who already have jobs but are not satisfied and are seeking better opportunities.

“Some of them are not satisfied with their work; they still need to get more jobs, or they don’t have a job at all. That segment of the population is our target right now.”

The minister repeatedly said that the figure of 3 million should not be misunderstood as a promise or a fixed annual goal.

“Remember, I’m saying that that’s not a target. That’s not something we are doing. But we have noticed that this number is where we are going to go into and create the jobs.”

He said the ministry’s job creation programmes are being designed with this group in mind.

“For the period of time I’m talking about, we are targeting these 3 million people who are either employed and not happy with their employment, or they are not employed at all. These are people we believe are going to be the beneficiaries,” Dr Pelpuo explained.

However, he admitted that it is not possible at this stage to say how many of these jobs will be created within the year.

“How much will be done this year is what I cannot tell you,” the minister said.