The MoLISA's Department of Employment forecast job losses may increase by about 100,000 every month (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – There were nearly 100,000 people applying for unemploymentbenefits each month this year while the monthly average in 2019 was just60,000-70,000, according to an official of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids andSocial Affairs (MoLISA).
TaoBang Huy, Deputy Director of the MoLISA’s Department of Employment, said over686,200 people applied for unemployment benefits in the first seven months of2020, up 32 percent year on year, equivalent to almost 100,000 claims monthly.
Thisdepartment forecast the number of job losses may increase by about 100,000every month, mainly in such industries as tourism, accommodation and foodservices, construction, transportation, and processing-manufacturing.
While70 percent of all businesses may suffer from COVID-19 impacts, the number of furloughedemployees or those with less work to do could rise to between 3.5 million and 5million.
Inthe first half of 2020, 29,000 companies had to suspend operations for a certainperiod of time, rising 38.2 percent from a year earlier. Meanwhile, the number of people ofworking age with employment declined to 51.8 million, compared to 54.4 millionin the same period last year.
Somesectors with strong job cuts included processing-manufacturing, accommodationand food services, education and training, wholesales and retails, and vehiclerepair.
Althoughthe labour market in Vietnam has shown signs of recovery, the resurgence ofCOVID-19 has added a further complication to businesses and their employees.
VuThi Thu Thuy, Director of the Population and Labour Statistics Department atthe General Statistics Office, did not rule out the possibility of 5 millionpeople becoming unemployed by the year’s end, noting that job losses maycontinue during the remaining months if business promoting solutions are notcarried out drastically./.
VNA
