The increase in the number of workers at foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) this year as at August 1 was the highest in the country, according to figures from the General Statistics Office (GSO).

The number of industry workers rose 5 per cent year-on-year. Those in the State sector fell 0.7 per cent but those in the non-State sector were up 1.9 per cent. Workers at FIEs, meanwhile, increased 8.1 per cent.

Workers at mining companies fell 4.8 per cent year-on-year to August 1 and rose 5.7 per cent in processing and manufacturing enterprises and 3.4 per cent in water supply, waste and wastewater treatment enterprises. 

The number of workers in electricity production and distribution companies remained unchanged.

Cities and provinces with large-scale industry saw increases in worker numbers, such as Thai Nguyen (34 per cent), Hai Phong (12.7 per cent), Dong Nai (7.2 per cent), Binh Duong (7.2 per cent), Vinh Phuc (6.2 per cent), Bac Ninh (3.6 per cent), Da Nang (3.1 per cent), Hai Duong (2.7 per cent), Quang Nam (2.4 per cent), Ba Ria Vung Tau (1.9 per cent), Hanoi (1 per cent), and Ho Chi Minh City (0.6 per cent).

Vietnam saw 9,282 newly-registered enterprises in August, down 3.5 per cent compared to July, with newly-registered capital of VND80 trillion ($3.58 billion), up 2.6 per cent. 

Average registered capital per enterprise was about VND7.6 billion ($340,632), an increase of 6.3 per cent. Total workers at newly-registered enterprises were 112,800, up 13.7 per cent.

Newly-registered enterprises fell about 0.2 per cent against August 2015 while registered capital increased 28.7 per cent. Average capital per enterprise was 28.9 per cent higher.

The number of newly-registered enterprises in August saw a slight decline because it is July in the lunar calendar, a time when Vietnamese people avoid opening a new business. 

The increase in the average capital per enterprise, however, shows that investors are confident in the economy’s prospects.

In August about 2,005 enterprises restarted their business activities after a temporary cessation, up 11.1 per cent year-on-year, while 1,531 temporarily suspended operations and 3,561 were waiting for dissolution or had not nominated a time they would return to operations, down a combined 14 per cent. 

Enterprises terminating operations stood at 1,057, up 15.5 per cent.

In the first eight months of the year the country had 73,404 newly-registered enterprises, an increase of 19.7 per cent year-on-year, with total registered capital of 567.9 trillion ($25.46 billion), up 50.9 per cent. 

Average registered capital per enterprise was VND7.7 billion ($345,268), 26 per cent higher year-on-year.

Total workers at newly-established enterprises in the first eight months were 857,200, an increase of 98.2 per cent year-on-year.

VN Economic Times