Jara Critiques Kast’s Employment Plan: «100,000 Jobs Equivalent to Half of What Has Already Been Lost»

Original article: Jara golpea plan de empleo de Kast: “100 mil puestos de trabajo es como la mitad de los que ya se han destruido”

«100,000 jobs is about half of the jobs that have been destroyed during his term,» stated former presidential candidate from Unidad por Chile, Jeannette Jara, as she criticized the employment plan proposed by José Antonio Kast. Her comments came after the unemployment rate rose to 9.6% for the period of June to August, marking its highest level since 2021, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE). This statistic reignited discussions around job creation and the effectiveness of measures implemented by the government.

In this context, the former Minister of Labor and Social Welfare urged the far-right president to be «a bit more ambitious» and questioned the goal of generating over 100,000 jobs between this year and 2027.

Jara responded to queries about the 9.6% peak in the unemployment rate and the criticisms she faced during the campaign when labeled as «the Minister of Unemployment.»

In a firm response, the former official stated: «I hope that President Kast’s government can implement more effective measures to strengthen employment.»

«This is a significant challenge for the country. Contrary to what might be expected, I will not engage in petty criticisms like he often did during the campaign, because I recognize that governance and state matters are complex,» she emphasized, as reported by Bio Bío Chile.

«I Would Ask Him to Be a Bit More Ambitious Because the Country Needs It«

Nonetheless, the former presidential candidate directly targeted the official plan «Chile Despega, con más pega,» which aims to recover over 100,000 jobs by 2027. In Jara’s view, this goal is insufficient given the damage the labor market has already suffered under the current administration.

«What I want to say is that, with the number of jobs that have been destroyed during his term, considering that recovering 100,000 jobs is just half of what has already been lost is concerning,» she stated, according to the cited media.

«So, I would ask him to be a bit more ambitious because the country needs it and he can count on our cooperation for whatever he needs,» she added.

Finally, Jara urged the head of state to be «clear in his proposals, as what he has indicated about injecting some resources remains unclear regarding whether we are talking about new resources or resources that have not been utilized due to his ministries’ lack of management.»