Financial institutions are urging Vietnam to improve its labour productivity, which is key to ensuring economic growth at a more sustainable pace.

The Prime Minister on November 8 issued a decision approving the national programme on labour productivity improvement by 2030.

With the country’s improved competitiveness thanks in part to a rise in labour productivity, Vietnam is boosting its support for innovative activities to achieve further sustainable development under a new growth model.

Vietnam needed to invest in the digital economy and seize the opportunities it provided to improve labour productivity.

Vietnam will launch a national programme to improve labour productivity, a critical factor for the middle-income country to enhance its competitiveness and develop.

Businesses and experts are still concerned over the impact on production of overtime hours that are not increased for seasonal jobs.

With Vietnam’s low labour productivity and overtime, a proposal on reducing working hours in the latest draft amendments to the Labour Code – if adopted – could become a burden for the business community. Khoi Nguyen reports.

Vietnam’s labour productivity remains low, making it difficult for firms to perform. Nguyen Bich Lam, general director of the General Statistics Office, talked about what is needed to foster a competitive labour force in the country.

 VietNamNet Bridge – In September 2015 the National Wage Council (NWC) of Vietnam proposed an across-the-board sharp increase in the monthly minimum wage of 12.4% effective the beginning of next year.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The experts at the National Economics University have a message for Vietnam — speed up economic reforms aimed at improving labour productivity, or get left in the dust.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Now that Vietnam’s economy has turned the corner and is on the mend, Vietnamese enterprises need to shift their focus to developing a top-notch Made-in-Vietnam brand with a reputation for quality.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The General Statistics Office (GSO) reports the country’s GDP grew by 5.98% for calendar year 2014 – the highest growth rate since 2011.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Nguyen Ba Ngoc, deputy director of the Labour Science and Social Affairs Institute, speaks to Hai Quan (Customs) newspaper about proposed measures to increase labour productivity.

 VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam's low labour productivity has caused concern among labour experts, who recently voiced worries and called for urgent measures to boost the number of skilled workers.