"Myanmar authorities have been making strenuous effort for the recovery of local employment which was affected by the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country, an official from Labour, Immigration and Population Ministry told Xinhua Friday. "The ministry is doing its utmost to connect local employers and employees to boost the local employment opportunities," said U Myo Aung, permanent secretary of the ministry. The number of newly employed workers significantly dropped in April and May during the outbreak of COVID-19. Over 9,300 local employments were offered to workers in the country's regions and states in April while over 6,000 local employments were created in May, down from over 24,000 in March, the ministry's figures said. The number of unemployed workers from factories, workshops and workplaces reached about 17,000 this year and the months of COVID-19 period registered the highest unemployment rate in the country, the permanent secretary said. Aiming to promote the development of the country and help people increase their incomes, the ministry has been offering local and overseas employment opportunities. Meanwhile, the ministry announced suspension of sending migrant workers abroad and the issuance of employment contracts and overseas employment identity cards in March, as part of COVID-19 containment measures..."