STARTUP
Some returning workers have started their own small businesses, but sluggish consumer sentiment makes it tough.
"It's always difficult to find jobs in village, which is why I became a migrant worker," said Arumy Marzudhy, once a nanny in Singapore who now sells rice crackers in East Java province.
"The decline in sales is a blow and there is no fixed salary any more," said 32-year-old Marzudhy, who was paid S$1,000 ($707) a month as a nanny.
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Sumasri Asri, 46, struck a more optimistic note about Eid.
The mother of two worked as a cleaner in Malaysia for a decade until she lost her job in March. She has started a sewing business back home - and sees a silver lining in her layoff.
"Getting an income in the village is tough, but I can't be a migrant worker forever. This pandemic has been an opportunity for me to start a new life with my children," said Asri.
