Judul: The Effect of Unemployment Benefits and Other Labour Market Institutions on Unemployment
Abstrak: Unemployment is a threatening issue as it causes adverse effects on the economy especially because it is associated with poverty widespread thus contributing to some detrimental effects on individuals. One of the government’s efforts to prevent the unfavourable effects of unemployment is through unemployment benefits in the labour market institutions that replace a part of income before termination, which also can boost employment through active labour market programs (ALMPs) that aim to reintegrate the unemployed to the labour. Meanwhile, labour market institutions facilitate the arrangement of quality employment with decent wages and working conditions. However, unemployment rate trends are still diverse in countries that have implemented the unemployment benefits system. Likewise, the literature depicts that all those labour market institutions may affect unemployment growth where in some findings they increase unemployment and vice versa in other results. Outside those institutions, unemployment is also affected by some non-institutional factors in which the literature finds various conclusions regarding unemployment as the cases in the labour market institution. This study becomes more indispensable because the unemployment benefits system is moderately new in Indonesia, thus, understanding the impact of the scheme in other countries is necessary, primarily in those with similar socio-economic conditions. Hence, this study's objectives are to analyse the effects of unemployment benefits and other labour market institutions on unemployment and formulate policy implications for more optimal implementation of unemployment benefits and other labour market institutions in Indonesia. To answer these objectives, the data was analysed through descriptive and quantitative analysis. Descriptive analysis is presented in the form of tables and graphs. As for quantitative analysis, the study uses secondary datasets from the cross-section of thirty-two countries (middle and high-income countries) in 2018 that have implemented unemployment benefits before 2010, estimated with multiple linear regression analysis with ordinary least squares (OLS). The findings indicate that 3 out of the 4 variables in labour market institutions that are estimated to affect unemployment have a significant effect where high unemployment benefits, the existence of collective bargaining, and less stringent employment protection will raise unemployment. Meanwhile, the non-institutional factors that increase unemployment significantly from the lowest effect to the highest are increased corporate taxes, a high inflation rate, population growth and appreciated domestic currency. Besides that, the effect of these variables on the unemployment rate is more prominent than that of labour market institutions. Thus, as lessons learned for Indonesia, to lessen unemployment employment protection legislation and the exchange rate should be handled first as they have more effect on unemployment respectively in labour market institutions and non-institutional factors.
Keyword: labour market institutions, non-institutional factors, unemployment, unemployment benefits

Judul: The impact of labour policy on unemployment and the Indonesian economy in the era of regional autonomy
Abstrak: Kebijakan ketenagakerjaan secara langsung mempengaruhi pasar tenaga kerja dan kondisi perekonomian makro. Isu kebijakan ketenagakerjaan masih menjadi topik penting untuk dibahas di era otda karena kebijakan ketenagakerjaan merupakan masalah yang sensitif bagi buruh. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk : (1) mendeskripsikan isu-isu kebijakan ketenagakerjaan di era otda, (2) menganalisis faktor-faktor kebijakan ketenagakerjaan yang mempengaruhi pasar tenaga kerja dan perekonomian lndonesia, (3) mengevaluasi dampak alternatif kebijakan ketenagakerjaan terhadap perubahan di pasar tenaga kerja dan perekonomian Indonesia di era otda tahun 2001-2004, dan (4) meramalkan dampak alternatif kebijakan ketenagakerjaan terhadap perubahan di pasar tenaga kerja dan perekonomian Indonesia di era otda tahun 2007-2010. Untuk mencapai tujuan tersebut, dibangun model sistem persamaan simultan yang terdiri dari 34 persamaan struktural dan 18 persamaan identitas. Penelitian ini menggunakan data time series tahun 1980-2004. Data dianalisis dengan analisis deskriptif, model ekonometrika, simulasi historis dan peramalan yang menggunakan berbagai alternatif skenario kebijakan. Model diestimasi dengan metode 2SLS menggunakan prosedur SYSLIN. Simuasi historis dan peramalan menggunakan prisedur SIMNLIN. Hasil penelitian menyimpulkan bahwa: (1) beberapa kelemahan Undang- Undang Ketenagakerjaan era otda cenderung menghambat penyelesaian perselisihan hubungan industrial, (2) meskipun upah minimum ditargetkan bagi buruh tanpa pengalaman dan nol masa kerja, dalam pelaksanaannya telah menyebabkan kenaikan upah rata-rata bagi buruh di semua tingkatan, peningkatan tingkat pengangguran dan inflasi dan pada akhirnya menurunkan GDP, (3) peningkatan kebijakan penyesuaian upah minimum, peningkatan kekuatan serikat pekerja dan peningkatan jumlah kasus pemogokan dan unjuk rasa berpengaruh nyata terhadap investasi, penawaran agregat, pengangguran dan inflasi, dan (4) diperkirakan upaya mencari solusi penyelesaian masalah hubungan industrial, penurunan suku bunga dan pengeluaran infrastruktur tahun 2007-2010 akan lebih efektif untuk menstimulasi peningkatan investasi dan produksi agregat serta penurunan tingkat pengangguran dan tingkat inflasi. Bila pemerintah tetap mempertahankan kebijakan upah minimum di era otda maka bersama dengan serikat buruh dan pihak pengusaha perlu melakukan: (1) evaluasi kembali penetapan upah minimum, (2) kontrol terhadap kekuatan serikat pekerja dan (3) upaya peningkatan produktifitas TK agar tidak memperburuk tingkat pengangguran dan perekonomian 2007-2010 mendatang.
Keyword: Labor policy, Unemployment, Simultaneous Equation Model, Indonesia economy

Judul: Transformasi Genetik Tanaman Tembakau oleh Gen LFY Kakao (TcLFY) Menggunakan Agrobacterium tumefaciens
Abstrak: LFY is a protein that have important role in flowering. TcLFY gene have been isolated from cacao (Theobroma cacao L.). To examine its role, this gene that is under control of p35S CaMV promoter was introduced in the tobacco plant using Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Transformation efficiency of transgenic plants was 16 % with regeneration efficiency was 27.38%, and produce 4 buds each explant. PCR analyses toward 5 putative transgenic tobacco plants that were taken randomly showed that all of them were transgenic. They also flowered early. Expression analyse of TcLFY gene using PCR showed that transgenic plant expressed the TcLFY gene in the all of its parts. This result showed that transgenic tobacco plant contained TcLFY gene under control of p35S CaMV
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