Colombian President Álvaro Uribe expressed his concern about job losses in the country as a result of the global economic crisis and the decrease in demand of Colombian products.
“The economc situattion is very difficult. We are very worried about employment, I can not deny that,” he said in Bogotá Tuesday.
Unemployment in Colombia has been on a steady rise for half a year already, but the DANE, Colombia’s statistics department, announced Tuesday production in November fell more than 13 percent, fueling fears for more job losses in the industrial sector and a sharp rise in unemployment.
The Government Wednesday announced a US$27 billion financial injection in the economy. 11 billion will be put in the public sector and 16 billion will be invested in the private sector, Director of the government’s National Planning department Carolina Rentera announced. Most money will be put in the coal industry, one of Colombia’s most prominent industries and now udner pressure because of falling energy prices.
Bogotá hopes the improvised investment will prevent a massive loss of jobs,