Labour market quality yet to see improvement
VOV.VN - The quality of the Vietnamese labour market has failed to drastically improve with a large portion of informal workers, although the employed population has increased, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO).
As of the fourth quarter of the year, the number of employed workers stands at 51.5 million, soaring by 130,400 people compared to the previous quarter and 414,600 compared to last year’s corresponding period, the GSO said in a recent report on the 2023 socio-economic situation.
This growth rate can be attributable to increased production and business activities in response to the Lunar New Year, known locally as Tet, holiday demands.
The country’s labour force aged 15 and above in 2023 is at 52.4 million people. Among them, 51.3 million people are employed, marking an increase of 1.35% compared to the previous year.
Most of them work in services, at 20.3 million people; followed by industrial sectors and construction, at 17.2 million people; and agriculture, forestry, and fisheries at 13.8 million people.
The country’s total population is estimated to be at 100.3 million, thereby soaring by 0.84% in comparison to 2022.
According to data given by the GSO, the average monthly income in 2023 stood at VND7.1 million, equal to US$293, growing by VND459,000, equal to US$19, or 6.9% on-year.
There is a wage gap between workers of different genders and in different locations, with men earning a monthly average of VND8.1 million, equivalent to US$334, against VND6 million, equal to US$247, for women.
The average monthly income for workers in urban areas stands at VND8.7 million, equivalent to US$359, while this figure is VND6.2 million, equal to US$256, in rural areas.
The GSO report also revealed that the average income per capita in 2023 is estimated to be VND4.95 million, equal to US$204, per person each month, increasing by 5.9% compared to the previous year.
According to surveys, 30.4% of households were negatively impacted by hiking prices, while 4.6% were affected by diseases. As of Q4 of 2023, the number of unemployed people of working age stands at 1.06 million, or 2.03% of the country’s total labour force.
Particularly, with efforts to carry out comprehensive measures aimed at the recovery and development of the labour market, the unemployment rate in the southeastern region decreased by 0.41 percentage points to 2.67% in Q4, said the GSO.
In Ho Chi Minh City, a municipality in the region and the largest economic hub of the country, the unemployment rate stands at 2.91%, 0.78 percentage points lower than the previous quarter.
Brief reports from localities also showed that the number of workers temporarily made redundant in Q4 also decreased, now standing at around 77,800 people.
The majority of them worked in foreign-invested companies, at 72.6%, and in footwear and textile businesses, at 45.7% and 25.1%, respectively.
Approximately 85,500 people lost their jobs in Q4 of 2023. A majority of them were working in the non-public sector, at 75.2%.
