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Labour market needs enhancing, says report
Strengthening labour market institutions, investing in human resources, promoting the quality of jobs and expanding the social welfare system were all recommendations in a report on “Labour and Social Trends in Vietnam 2009/10”, in an effort to boost the country’s competitiveness.
The report which was conducted by the Vietnamese Institute of Labour, Science and Social Affairs (ILSSA) with the assistance of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) was launched in Hanoi on June 23.
“Vietnam has weathered the global economic crisis,” said the report, saying that the country should fully utilise its dynamic and growing labour force to ensure a sustained recovery.
According to the report, Vietnam’s workforce is projected to increase by 1.5 percent (Or 738,000) annually from 2010 to 2015.
The report also acknowledged the rapid transformation of the structure of the labour market with agricultural employment falling from more than 65 percent in 2000 to just over 52 percent in 2007 as workers moved into industry and services. The unemployment rate was nearly 3 percent in the 2000-2007 period and the number of workers getting jobs overseas is also on the increase, probably to around 100,000 this year.
Vietnam has also recorded many outstanding achievements in poverty reduction with the number of poor households dropping to 14 percent in 2008 from more than 37 percent in 1998 and the country’s social welfare system has also improved.
Integrating into international markets has also posed many challenges to Vietnam such as employment issues including the lack of skilled workers, labour disputes and vulnerable groups being at risk.
The Director of the ILO’s Office in Hanoi Rie Vejs-Kjeldgaard suggested that concerted action is needed to support especially vulnerable groups to access economic and social opportunities.
The Standing Vice Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Dam Huu Dac said that Vietnam is preparing its socio-economic development plan for the period 2011-2015 and is prioritising improving the quality of its human resources.
The report is therefore an important foundation for Vietnam to introduce better social labour policies in the future, said Dac.
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