KAPIT, March 17 — The unemployment rate in Sarawak is lower than the national average, said Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr James Masing.

Citing 2016 figures, he said the rate in Sarawak was 3.3 per cent or 41,900 people whereas the national average was 3.5 per cent or 504,100 people.

He said the state government was very committed to tackling the problem of unemployment and this was proven by the fact that the Sarawak Manpower Department succeeded in finding jobs for 13, 374 job seekers in four different industries last year.

"A total of 3,733 people or 27.9 per cent were emplaced in the manufacturing industry, 3,398 (25.4 per cent) in the wholesale and retail sector, 1,826 (13.7 per cent) in the agriculture sector and 1,105 (8.3 per cent) in the hotel and restaurant sector,” he said.

He added that the number of job seekers registered with the department via the JobsMalaysia portal in 2017 was 45,586 people of whom 13,126 were graduates and 12,460 non-granduates.

Masing said this when opening the department’s career carnival at Dewan Suarah Kapit here today. — Bernama