Forum stresses urgent need to create jobs

A meeting on Thursday in Government House discussed several issues related to labor, a vital sector in development, according to speakers. The International Labor Organization has said that the rapid growth in the Mongolian economy between 2002 and 2008 did not generate enough jobs for the growing working age population.

The state sector employs 41% of the work force and the remaining 59% are in the private sector. 82% of employers have between 1-9 workers, 8.2% have 10-16, 6.1% have 20-49 and only 3.2% have more than 50. The figures reveal the result of the Government’s support of the small and middle enterprisers.
Working age people were 49.5% of the population in 2008, rising to 66.5% in 2009 and will be 61.5% between 2009 and 2025. This shows the need to generate jobs. The Minister of Social Welfare and Labor said the lack of employment in the countryside has led to migration to cities. While 42.8% of the population lived in the countryside in 2000, the figure was 37.4% in 2009. The number of Mongolians working abroad has also increased. Ten years ago, there were 10,000 Mongolians working in South Korea but the number has since reached 40,000.

More businesses are need to provide jobs and this can happen only if banks issue loans at lower interests.

The national forum was organized by the Government, the Ministry of Social Welfare and Labor, the Confederation of Trade Unions and Employers’ United Association and was attended by more than 400 delegates from all over the country, including MPs and Government members.