54.6 million jobs generated in Q1

An estimate of 54.6 million jobs were added to the Vietnamese workforce in the first three months of 2019, up 0.11% from the last quarter of 2018.

The electricity sector sees higher labour demands during January-March. (Photo: VNA)
The electricity sector sees higher labour demands during January-March. (Photo: VNA)

According to an update on the Vietnamese workforce released in Hanoi on April 4, a number of sectors saw higher labour demands during January-March compared to the previous period.

They included the production and distribution of electricity, natural gas, hot water, water vapour, and air conditioners (up 18.4%); finance, banking, and insurance (5.8%); and art and entertainment (8.5%).

In contrast, others were estimated to have reduced labour demands, including agro-forestry-fishery (0.8%); mining (7.6%); and realty (8%).

The report said in the last quarter of 2018, 54.53 million people secured employment, while the number of the unemployed in the working age group stood at just over 1 million. The figures represented an increase of nearly 23,000 people and decrease of 7,600 from the previous period, respectively.

Meanwhile, receiving more than 7,100 Vietnamese guest workers in March, Japan is the largest market for this group of jobseekers, according to the statistics from the Department of Overseas Labour under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

It was followed by Taiwan (China) with 5,807, the Republic of Korea with 457, and Malaysia with 102. Other markets such as Arab Saudi, Algeria and Romania also attracted Vietnamese workers.

The total number of workers sent abroad topped 13,900 during the month, more than 5,000 of them women.

In the first quarter of this year, over 32,300 Vietnamese workers were sent abroad, or 27% of the yearly plan. Of this, 19,000 went to Japan.