SHAH ALAM: Selangor recorded an unemployment rate of 4.4 per cent or 165,000 unemployed persons as at June this year following the COVID-19 pandemic, a state executive councillor said.

State Youth Generation Development, Sports and Human Capital Development Committee chairman Mohd Khairuddin Othman said the state government took the matter seriously and hoped the percentage could be reduced through "Jelajah Selangor Bekerja 2021" with nearly 25,000 jobs up for grab.

He said the programme involving 200 companies was hoped to reduce the unemployment rate to 3.7 per cent by the first quarter of next year.

In 2019, he said Selangor's unemployment rate was at 2.9 percent while in 2020 the figure increased to 4.5 per cent due to the pandemic.

On Jelajah Selangor Bekerja 2021, Mohd Khairuddin said the tour would start from Oct 23 to December this year, passing through Shah Alam, Kuala Selangor, Kuala Kubu Bharu, Hulu Langat, and Petaling.

"It will be a hybrid event, namely online and physical, and does not ignore the standard operating procedures that have been set in line with Phase 3 of the National Recovery Plan (PPN)," he said at the opening ceremony of the programme here today.

Mohd Khairuddin said the career carnival would focus on jobs in the aerospace industry in collaboration with Invest Selangor Bhd, as well as other jobs covering the services, manufacturing, electronics, and management sectors.

He hoped the people of Selangor, especially youths, would take advantage of the initiatives provided by the state government by registering on the website www.selangorbekerja.com.my to identify ttheir career options and help employers get the manpower they need.

-- BERNAMA