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International
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
BUSINESS Employers add jobs in 30 US states in January, cut in 20
WASHINGTON — Employers stepped up hiring in 30 states in January, led by big gains in Florida, Texas and North Carolina, while 20 states shed jobs. THE NUMBERS: The unemployment rate fell in 28 states, rose in 8 and was unchanged in 14. The unemployment rate doesn’t always decline even when more hiring occurs, because more Americans may start job hunting and push up the rate even as others are hired. Florida added the most jobs of any state, gaining 32,200. That was followed by Texas with 31,400 and North Carolina with 23,200. Florida’s biggest employment gains occurred in restaurants, hotels and amusement parks. Pennsylvania lost 16,100 jobs, the most of any state. New Jersey shed 14,100, and in South Carolina, total jobs fell 10,100. BIG PICTURE: Fewer states gained jobs in January as hiring slowed a bit nationwide. Overall, employers added 172,000 jobs in January, below the average pace of hiring last year. Hiring nationally picked up in February, to 242,000, and the unemployment rate remained at an eight-year low of 4.9 percent. The nation’s job market is generally improving, though many Americans are no longer working or looking for work, and wage growth remains tepid. THE TAKEAWAY: Slower growth overseas and the strong dollar may have lowered hiring in January. The financial markets also fell sharply that month as fears of a global recession intensified. The U.S. economy, however, has remained healthy despite those challenges. Consumer spending rose at the fastest pace in eight months in January, as more Americans have paychecks to spend. The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta forecasts the economy will expand at a modest 2.2 percent annual rate in the January-March quarter, up from a sluggish 1 percent increase in the final three months of last year.(ap)
AP Photo/David Goldman
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
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Thousands of Taxi Drivers Stage Anti-Uber Protest Strike in Jakarta
JAKARTA – More than a thousand taxi drivers in Jakarta are on Monday holding a protest strike against mobile transportation applications such as Uber and GrabTaxi, a local witness reports. Since around 9 a.m. local time (0200 GMT), taxi drivers and other public transportation drivers have been rallying in the city center. Some are carrying banners with messages denouncing “dark and illegal” transportation applications and imploring Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja “Ahok” Purnama to help the drivers, while others are shouting slogans like “Reject Uber and Grab Car.” The strike is making it harder to find taxis in downtown Jakarta, and the transportation situation could worsen during rush hour. Representatives of the Land Transportation Drivers Association seek to meet with Purnama and President Joko Widodo and “convey their protests regarding the presence of illegal transportation operating as non-public transportation through application service companies,” said Adj. Sr. Comr Budiyanto from the Jakarta Police’s traffic directorate, according to the Jakarta Post newspaper. The chairman of the Jakarta Land Transportation Owners has urged people to use other, non-application based means of transportation after the protest.(ant)
AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi
In this Feb. 21, 2016 photo, a man enters a store which holding a closing-out sale in Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district.
BOJ keeps monetary policy unchanged despite risks to growth
TOKYO — Japan central bank chose Tuesday to keep its monetary policy mostly unchanged but noted a raft of risks for an economy making scant headway toward a sustained recovery.
In this March 3, 2016 photo, Georgia Department of Labor services specialist Louis Holliday, left, helps a woman with a job search at an unemployment office in Atlanta. Employers stepped up hiring in 30 states in January, led by big gains in Florida, Texas and North Carolina, while 20 states shed jobs.
Indonesia Today
International
Analysts had been divided over whether the Bank of Japan would expand its lavish asset purchases or cut interest rates still further to spur growth. The decision to wait-and-see took share prices lower in most regional markets, with Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index falling 0.7 percent to 17,117.07. Japan’s economy contracted in the last quarter of 2015, buffeted by the slowdown in China and other emerging economies. Recent data suggest it might shrink again during this quarter, in what would be Japan’s third “technical recession,” or two straight quarters of contraction, in four years. “While the BOJ refrained from adding more stimulus today, sluggish economic activity and the stronger yen suggest that policymakers will have to announce more easing soon,” Marcel Thieliant of Capital Economics said
in a research note. The continued weakness prompted the BOJ to impose a “negative interest rate” policy that took effect last month and requires banks to pay a fee of 0.1 percent on excess reserves kept at the central bank. That measure followed similar moves in Europe but is unpopular with financial circles and the public, who are seeing rates paid on their own savings deposits shrink ever closer to zero. The BOJ’s meeting comes just ahead of a meeting this week by the U.S. Federal Reserve that will be closely watched for hints of possible future rate hikes. Japan’s interest rates have remained near zero for years. Under BOJ Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda, the central bank has been buying roughly 80 trillion yen ($700 billion) of government bonds
and other assets a year. The injections of cash into the economy are meant to drive prices higher, prompting businesses and consumers to spend more, but demand has remained tepid, falling 1.2 percent from a year earlier in the October to December quarter. Given that trend, the BOJ’s description of private demand as “resilient” marked a “fresh high of absurdity,” Thieliant said. Japan’s current spring “labor offensive” is expected to yield only modest wage increases, despite appeals to the business community to do more to help support the economy. The BOJ’s statement Tuesday noted a slowdown in housing and public investments and recent volatility in global financial markets. It forecast that exports and industrial output would remain sluggish and said inflation was likely to stay at about 0 percent for now but eventually climb toward a 2 percent target set three nearly years ago.(ap)
REUTERS/Darren Whiteside
Taxi drivers take part in a protest against what they say is unfair competition from ridesharing services outside the presidential palace in Jakarta, Indonesia March 14, 2016.
Fishermen protection bill passed into law President invites veterans to hold talks in palace JAKARTA - The House of Representatives (DPR), during its plenary meeting here on Tuesday, passed the bill on protection and empowerment of fishermen, fish farmers, and salt farmers into law. All legislators present at the meeting expressed their agreement to the passage of the fishermen protection bill into law. House Speaker Fadli Zon thereafter banged his gavel to mark the passing of the bill into law. Chairman of the Houses Commission IV, Edhy Prabowo, noted in his speech that the fishermen, fish farmers, and salt farmers had lived in poverty
so far due to poor infrastructure, limited access and financing. He pointed out that the low level of their economy has had a negative impact on the families who depend on their efforts. “The wives and children of fishermen, fish farmers, and salt farmers employ traditional methods to increase the value-added products with a lower selling price,” he pointed out. Further, he added that the law aimed at providing facilities, infrastructure, and business certainty to the fishermen, fish farmers, and salt farmers.(ant)
Anti-terror squad must protect children: protection commission JAKARTA - The National Polices Densus-88 anti-terror squad should continue to protect children and heed of the principle of propriety, according to the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI). “The KPAI lauds the swift actions of Densus-88 in handling terrorism. But, it should continue to give priority to protect children,” KPAI deputy chairman Susanto stated here on Tuesday. Therefore, Susanto noted that the manner in which Densus-88 oper-
ates should be evaluated following its raid on the integrated Amanah Ummah Roudlatul Atfhfal kindergaten in Klaten on Thursday. He pointed out that the search conducted on the kindergarten triggered a sense of fear among the kindergarten children. “The investigation into the kindergarten frightened the children and is against the principle of child protection due to which such a raid needs to be evaluated,” he affirmed.
According to Susanto, radicalism, extremism, and terrorism may not develop in Indonesia as they are against the teachings of religions recognized in Indonesia. The state, through the National Anti-Terror Agency (BNPT) and Densus-88, has the obligation to undertake preventive measures and handle any crisis. “However, the counterterrorism measures adopted by the agency should not hinder the efforts to protect the children,” he added.(ant)
JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) invited retired personnel of the armed forces (TNI) and veterans to the Presidential Palace to hold talks, Indonesian Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu stated at the Presidential Palace Complex here, Tuesday. “Oh yes, the president also wants to meet and have close talks. Close ties must exist between the retired army personnel and the government,” the minister stated while accompanying the retired army personnel and veterans to meet President Jokowi at the Presidential Palace. On the occasion, the president received the chairman of the Association of Retired Armed Forces of the Republic of Indonesia (Pepabri) and chairman of the Legion of Veterans of the Republic of Indonesia (LVRI). The presence of both organizations at the Presidential Palace is a mark of their support to the government. Currently, these organizations are not considered to be close to the current government since the 2014 presidential election as they were supporting Jokowis political opponent during that time. The defense minister remarked
that the president was particularly concerned regarding the aspirations and condition of the veterans and retired personnel. “The president wants to pay attention to all matters concerning these retired army personnel and veterans, including what is going on with them, their condition, and that everything is all right. Since the chairman is already 90 years old, he could not come, and he was represented during the meeting,” the minister revealed. Minister Ryacudu emphasized the need to foster strong relations and a sense of togetherness between the current government and the retired army personnel and veterans. “The retired army personnel and veterans are aligned and ready to help the government,” Ryacudu affirmed. On the occasion, the central executive boards (DPPs) Chairman of Pepabri Agum Gumelar also updated the president on the current condition. “I would say that he (the president) was very eager to communicate with the retired personnel and veterans, which is apparent by the amount of time he spent to hold talks with them,” the minister added.(ant)