ISKANDAR PUTERI, Nov 25 — A total of 1,003 employers in Johor have stopped their businesses since the Covid-19 pandemic hit the country last year.

This in turn has caused 12,231 workers to be laid off, the Johor legislative assembly heard today.

State Investment, Entrepreneur Development and Human Resource Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Izhar Ahmad said that 739 employers ceased their business operations last year. 

The remaining 264 were those who stopped operations this year to date.

"During the same period, a total of 12,231 workers were affected or retrenched, including those involved in the closure of their respective employers' operations or businesses.

"Based on the retrenchment report by the Johor Manpower Department, 9,512 workers lost their jobs last year and to date 2,719 workers lost their jobs this year,” Mohd Izhar said in his winding-up speech.

But he also said more than 6,000 employment opportunities were offered and provided for job seekers, the unemployed and those who were retrenched.

"However, only 533 individuals managed to get jobs through the implementation of the Johor Skills Training Programme, Johor Career Programme and the announcement of vacancies on the department's social media platforms," he said in response to a question from Md Ysahrudin Kusni (PH-Bukit Naning).

Mohd Izhar, who is also the Larkin assemblyman, added that a total of 27,410 local workers also managed to get jobs under the Employment Insurance System carried out by the Social Security Organisation (Socso) from June 15 last year to November 5 this year.

"A total of 25,221 other workers attended training programmes under the initiative for the same period,” he said.

Mohd Izhar said there were 40,149 vacancies offered in Johor until October 29 this year, comprising 17,881 vacancies in the manufacturing sector and 5,081 vacancies in the accommodation sector, followed by 2,965 vacancies in the transportation sector.

"The support services sector offered 2,863 vacancies, while 2,577 vacancies are offered for the wholesale and retail sectors.

"Meanwhile, 2,499 vacancies were offered for the professional sector such as secretaries, clerks and assistant accountants, as well as vacancies in other areas,” said Mohd Izhar.