The global financial crisis has forced about 250,000 Indonesian migrant workers to return home, worsening the unexpected high unemployment rate in the country.

"The cause is obviously the global economic downturn. Employers are facing financial problems due to sluggish demand," the Jakarta Post daily on Thursday quoted Indonesian Manpower and Transmigration Minister Erman Suparno as saying.

According to Erman, the return of these workers to Indonesia increased the country's unemployment rate. Currently, around 40 million people are jobless in Indonesia.

Meanwhile, the country has no social security guarantee for the unemployed. The jobless people now have no choice but to do any indecent jobs.

(Xinhua News Agency December 19, 2008)