VietNamNet Bridge – Many enterprises, restaurants and supermarkets in Ha Noi and HCM City need more seasonal workers as the Lunar New Year holidays are approaching.

A student in HCM City distributes leaflets. Nearly 9,000 seasonal jobs will be available during the Lunar New Year, according to experts.

According to Vu Thi Thanh Lieu, head of the Labour Market Information Department under the Ha Noi Job Placement Centre, the demand for labour during the holiday season is particularly high for services such as spreading advertisement leaflets, selling goods and domestic work like cleaning and taking care of kids or the elderly.

Lieu said the rising demand – several times higher than usual –means more job opportunities for students and unskilled workers.

Nguyen Thi Bich Loi, director of Huong Thien Co, a job agency for domestic services, told Viet Nam News that the demand for temporary domestic helpers is usually significantly higher than usual during Tet.

Because the pay is usually three times higher during Tet, many workers from other provinces and cities come to Ha Noi to work as domestic helpers and earn a considerable additional income, Loi added.

The Metro Cash and Carry Viet Nam told Dan Tri (Public Knowledge) e-newspaper that it had approximately 2,000 temporary job vacancies for young people, especially students, during Tet, which is the busiest period of the year for the wholesale chain.

Le Thi Kim Thuy, an HR official from the company, said the additional recruitment during Tet was also an opportunity for young people to gain work experience.

In HCM City, the Student Assistance Centre said that more than 1,000 staff were needed for 100 companies.

Enterprises need staff to provide services as well as pack and wrap gifts. These jobs pay hourly wages of VND12,000-13,000 (US$0.57-$0.62) or monthly salaries of VND1.8 million-2.8 million ($85.7-$133).

The centre's Lunar Tet Employment Programme is expected to introduce 4,000 students to employers.

The City Centre for Youth Employment Service said it has openings for 1,500 seasonal jobs, and the Vinhempich Employment Service and Vocational Training Centre has hundreds of jobs as well.

According to the City Centre for Forecasting Manpower Needs and Labour Market Information, nearly 9,000 seasonal jobs will be available by the occasion of Lunar New Year.

Nguyen Thi My of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities said that she was seeking a part-time job to improve communication skills.

Nguyen Trong Hoang of the City Students Assistance Centre said that students should apply for jobs at reputable centres to avoid being cheated.

Source: VNS