Many businesses are planning to reduce workforce as a result of COVID-19.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has been controlled in Vietnam, its long-term effects will continue to be felt.

Many businesses are planning to decrease their workforce by 60-70 percent.

The Vietnam General Confederation of Labour and the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) are consulting businesses and workers for a plan of support.

The confederation reported that 5,600 enterprises and more than 1,300 non-public non-business units had to be dissolved, stopped working or narrowed production, which affected jobs of more than 461,000 workers by the end of April.

Nguyen Dinh Khang, chairman of the confederation, said its activities in the beginning months of the year mainly focused on working with agencies, organisations and enterprises to deploy solutions to prevent and combat the pandemic at work.

It has accompanied businesses in restoring production and business, stabilising jobs, ensuring income for workers during and after social distancing.

The Department of Employment under MOLISA said that if the pandemic is controlled well, it is estimated at least 70,000 to 80,000 workers would lose their jobs, 3 to 3.5 million workers would have to stop working and about 70-75 percent of businesses would be affected.

To help overcome difficulties for enterprises and workers, the MOLISA is summarising the recommendations of enterprises and workers about problems in the implementation of the 62 trillion VND (2.67 billion USD) bailout package.

Le Van Thanh, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, proposed loosening the conditions for easier borrowings.

For businesses borrowing loans to pay their employees, almost no businesses had access to this package up to now, he said./.VNS

Vietnam faces highest unemployment for a decade

As of June, 30.8 million people aged over 15 have been laid off, lost jobs or got fewer wages due to fewer work hours because of Covid-19, according to the Department of Employment.

Unemployment rate in urban areas almost doubles that in countryside

The unemployment rate among those aged 15 and above in Vietnam stood at 2.05 percent last year and the figure in urban areas is almost double that of rural areas, the 2019 population and housing census reveals.