VietNamNet Bridge - The economic situation in 2013 is anticipated to be difficult. Nearly 200,000 people in Ho Chi Minh City will be very difficult to find a job.

The number of strikes in HCM City last year decreased compared to 2011 but the scale was larger, with 500 to 1,000 participants in many strikes.(Photo for illustration)

As being reported by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs at a conference yesterday, the number of unemployed workers in the city is 312,000, including 142,000 new university graduates, 60,000 workers who lost or quitted their job in 2012 and 110,000 people in the working age but do not have a job.

According to the Department’s director Tran Trung Dung, the world economy this year will be less difficult than 2012, but there are still a lot of challenges. The projected number of new jobs created in 2013 through investment in business development, foreign-invested projects, self-employment and labor exports is only about 120,000. As a result, nearly 200,000 people are difficult to find a job.

According to the HCM City’s Vice Chairman Hua Ngoc Thuan, because of continued economic difficulties, the number of dissolved enterprises in 2013 will be likely more than last year. Therefore, creating jobs should be a top priority this year.

"Creating 265,000 jobs at the request of the HCM City Party Committee is not easy. The Department of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs must have breakthrough solutions to accomplish this task," Thuan said.

According to the department’s statistics, there were 102 strikes with more than 52,000 participants in Ho Chi Minh City last year. Although the number of strikes decreased compared to 2011 but the scale was larger, with 500 to 1,000 participants in many strikes.

Last year HCM City recorded 73 occupational accidents that killed 77 workers and injured five people.

Compiled by P. Linh