VOV.VN - The COVID-19 outbreaks in Ho Chi Minh City and many southern provinces are destroying the "health" of local businesses and hindering economic recovery, meaning the economic growth target of 6.5% set by the Government has never been as difficult and challenging as it is now.

Vietnam’s manufacturing sector gained growth pace at the end of the first quarter, with marked increases in output, new orders and exports, leading to stronger rises in employment and purchasing activity, according to a report by the London-based global information provider IHS Markit.

Business activities in the Vietnamese manufacturing sector improved, as the number of new orders jumped in February due to the rising demand from the global market, which, in turn, saw firms raising output, staffing levels and purchasing activity.

The Vietnam Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) was 51.3 in January, down from 51.7 in December, to signal a softer improvement in business conditions at the start of 2021.

The start of the fourth quarter of the year saw the continued recovery of the Vietnamese manufacturing sector, with the country’s Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) posting 51.8 in October.