Day: October 13, 2021

The severe and prolonged fourth wave of COVID-19 seriously affected the Vietnamese labour market, pushing the rate and number of underemployed people in the third quarter this year to the highest level in the past 10 years.

The information was released at a press conference in Hanoi on October 12 on the labour market in the third quarter of this year, by the General Statistics Office.

“More than 1.8 million people of working age were underemployed in the third quarter of this year, an increase of 700,000 compared to the previous quarter and an increase of 620,000 over the same period last year,” said Pham Hoai Nam, director of the GSO’s population and labour statistics department.

The underemployment rate of people of working age in urban areas is higher than in rural areas, reaching 5.33 percent and 3.94 percent, respectively.

“This is different from the common trend observed in our country with underemployment in rural areas often more severe than in urban areas,” Nam said.

According to GSO, more than 1.7 million people of working age were unemployed in the third quarter of 2021, an increase of 532,200 compared to the previous quarter and an increase of 449,600 compared to the same period last year.

Unemployment is a situation when a person seeking a job is unable to find one. Underemployment is a situation when a person is working but isn’t working at his full capability.

Nam said that the complicated developments of the fourth wave of COVID-19 and the prolonged social distancing period in many localities had pushed the unemployment rate in the third quarter far beyond the usual 2-percent figure.

The unemployment rate of people of working age was 5.54 percent, up 2.18 percentage points from the previous quarter and 1.6 percentage points over the same period last year.

In particular, the unemployment rate of young people aged 15-24 in Q3 was 8.89 percent, an increase of 1.42 percentage points compared to the previous quarter and an increase of 0.75 percentage points over the same period last year. That rate in urban areas was 12.71 percent, 5.56 percentage points higher than in rural areas.

In the first nine months of 2021, the number of unemployed people of working age was more than 1.3 million people, up by 126,5000 compared to the same period last year. The unemployment rate of people of working age was 2.99 percent, up 0.35 percentage points over the same period last year. The unemployment rate in urban areas was 4.02 percent, 1.64 percentage points higher than in rural areas.

In nine months, the unemployment rate of young people between 15-24 years old was 7.9 percent, up 0.13 percentage points over the same period last year. That rate in urban areas was 10.79 percent, up 0.26 percentage points over the same period last year.

“The labour market is facing a serious crisis with a series of negative records being set, millions of workers have lost their jobs, their incomes have been cut. It is now more difficult for workers to find jobs than ever before,” said Nam.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc on October 12 sent a letter to his US counterpart Joe Biden thanking the US Government for helping Vietnam with vaccines, medicine and medical supplies and equipment to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

President Phuc appreciates the efforts made by the Biden administration to support countries in the world in containing COVID-19 outbreaks and overcoming the difficulties brought by the pandemic.

He expressed a wish that the US would continue to assist Vietnam in the fight against the pandemic, and Pfizer would early deliver to Vietnam 31 million doses of vaccine as it had committed during his visit to the company’s headquarters in New York last September, so that the country could inoculate children from 12 to 18 years old.

Also on October 12, the Health Ministry received 77 ultra low temperature freezers donated by the US Government.

So far, the US Government has provided Vietnam with 8.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX mechanism, and granted directly 1 million doses of vaccine and 77 ultra low temperature freezers for vaccine storage

Source: Vietnam News Agency

A ministerial-level roundtable discussion themed “Cutting the cost: Can affordable access accelerate digital transformation?” was held on October 12, within the framework of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)’s Digital World 2021.

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Phan Tam said digital transformation has become an indispensable trend of every country. Since 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the process in the world.

He suggested countries pay more attention to affordable access and developing digital platforms which could be considered infrastructure of the digital world. According to him, it is necessary to digitalise socio-economic activities and bring them to digital platforms.

Participants at the event also shared experience in digital transformation, resources to develop information and communications technology, and ways to develop digital transformation effectively.

At the ministerial-level roundtable on the same theme on October 12, Vietnamese Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung said in order to promote Internet access, Vietnam will shut down 2G network by 2023. The Government and telecom providers will fund the use of 4G network for 2G mobile phone users, meaning that all of phone users will be ready for Internet access by 2023.

Ministers discussed ways to deal with barriers regarding residents’ affordability for telecom services, policies and measures to minimise costs.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

The southern industrial hub of Dong Nai has asked for favourable conditions for experts and workers to arrive in Dong Nai for working as the province is resuming production and business operations in the context that COVID-19 has been put under good control.

Under a proposal to the provincial People’s Committee on October 12, the Management Board of Industrial Parks of Dong Nai suggested that the committee work with nearby localities to reach consensus on the allowing of experts and labourers who have received at least one vaccine shot at least 14 days ago or recovered from COVID-19 within six months and have been tested negative to COVID-19 within seven days to travel to the province with their personal vehicles for working.

Le Van Danh, deputy head of the board, said that many experts and skilled workers work in Dong Nai and reside in Ho Chi Minh City.

Meanwhile, many large firms in Dong Nai are employing labourers from other localities such as Binh Duong, Binh Thuan and Ba Ria-Vung Tau. Therefore, without immediate solutions to call them back to work, they may switch to work in other localities, causing difficulties to the recovery of local firms in Dong Nai, he said.

Since late September when COVID-19 is basically controlled, Dong Nai has reopened production and business activities. The province has allowed enterprises to apply “three-on-site” model and let labourers to travel to work by their own vehicles. Many local firms have shown their hope that local authorised agencies to create favourable conditions for labourers, especially foreign experts residing in HCM City to enter Dong Nai on a daily basis for work and return their residence by their private vehicle.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

A webinar was held in Hanoi on October 13 to discuss measures to further promote overseas Vietnamese’s role in the consumption and popularisation of Vietnamese goods abroad.

Co-hosted by the State Commission for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ho Chi Minh City’s Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency, the event aimed to realise the Prime Minister’s Decision No.1797/QD-TTg approving a project on pooling the OVs’ involvement in introduction, consumption and development of Vietnamese goods distribution channels abroad for the 2020-2024 period, on the occasion of the 17th anniversary of the Vietnam Entrepreneurs’ Day (October 13).

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Quang Hieu, who is also Chairman of the State Commission for OV Affairs expressed his belief that Vietnam will soon overcome difficulties caused by COVID-19 pandemic and more Vietnamese goods will become more popular worldwide, thus improving the images, trademarks and quality of Vietnamese products on the international arena.

Participants at the event discussed orientations to popularise Vietnamese goods abroad, especially linking domestic and representative Vietnamese agencies abroad, domestic and foreign enterprises together, as well as optimising exhibitions and e-commerce platforms to connect supply and demand.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

French renewable energy producer EDF Renewables has made a significant investment in SkyX Energy, which is a subsidiary of VinaCapital Group and the owner of rooftop solar power plant SkyX Solar.

Assisted by the new partnership, SkyX Solar is expected to invest at least 100 million USD in developing 200 more MWp of solar rooftop electricity within the next two to three years, serving industrial and commercial customers.

Samresh Kumar, Executive Chairman and CEO of SkyX Solar, said the company currently has about 100MWp of rooftop solar power under development and operation.

The firm plans to cooperate with industrial parks in Vietnam to exploit hundreds of MW of rooftop solar power in the coming time, he said, adding that EDF Renewables’ experience and resources are hoped to boost SkyX Solar’s expansion quickly.

Yalim Ozilhan, Southeast Asia Regional Director of EDF Renewables, said that renewable energy sees great potential for development in Vietnam. With the strength of rooftop solar power solutions globally, EDF is very interested and wishes to invest in expanding its scope of operations in the market, he added.

In early 2021, the French group sealed a cooperation deal to invest in two wind power plants in the Central Highlands provinces of Dak Lak.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan lauded the Eurasian Women’s Forum’s contributions to connecting and empowering women in her speech at the first plenary session of the ongoing 3rd Eurasian Women’s Forum on October 13.

The forum, themed “Women: A Global Mission in a New Reality”, takes place virtually from October 13 to 15, gathering participants from more than 100 countries and international organisations.

Praising the theme, Xuan said the forum creates conditions to discuss opportunities and challenges that the globalisation, the 4th industrial revolution, and the COVID-19 pandemic are impacting the world in general and women in particular.

The Vice President talked about Vietnam’s experience and achievements in gender equality promotion across all social aspects, informing that the proportion of female National Assembly deputies, and key female leaders at ministries and ministerial-level agencies being at more than 30 percent and 50 percent, respectively.

She affirmed that Vietnam has also launched many initiatives to enhance the role of women as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 term, the ASEAN Chair in 2020, and the President of the 41st General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly.

She called on countries to work together to solve urgent issues involving women such as mitigation of impacts of COVID-19, climate change, and conflict and violence.

The role of women in socio-economic recovery and development should be promoted, Xuan said, adding that coordination should be strengthened to boost the making and effective implementation of policies and laws for the comprehensive development of women.

The Vietnamese delegation is expected to attend and deliver speeches at a number of thematic sessions at the forum.

Source: Vietnam News Agency

Minister of Public Security Gen. To Lam held an online meeting with a high-ranking delegation of the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC).

Lam said amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the online meeting showed the US private economic sector’s good will and commitment to maintain and further promote Vietnam-US bilateral ties in the mutually-beneficial spirit and realising Vietnam’s priority goals, including digital transformation and sustainable development.

He hailed the US as one of the leading trade partners and importers of Vietnam thanks to the two governments’ strategic visions as well as active and effective participation of their private enterprises and organisations, including the USABC.

The Vietnamese minister added that difficulties faced by US businesses and foreign production partners in Vietnam due to the pandemic are only short-term and temporary.

He hoped that the US business community would accompany Vietnam in the spirit of “harmony of interests”, promptly seize opportunities and seek proper ways to maintain and develop business and production in the new situation.

Ambassador Michael Michalak, Senior Vice President and Regional Managing Director of the USABC, spoke highly of development strides in the US-Vietnam cooperative relations in the recent past.

He expressed his wish that the Vietnamese Government and the Ministry of Public Security in particular would continue offering favourable conditions for US enterprises to do stable, long-term business in the country.

At the event, both sides discussed issues of shared concern such as the Law on Cyber Security, the decree on personal data protection and intellectual property in a constructive and open manner.

Source: Vietnam News Agency