Labour force remains stable during the Covid-19

Due to the early initiative in the labour force and regimes for employees, many enterprises did not face labour shortages this year. Photo: Nguyen Hue

No major fluctuations

According to a report of the Ministry of Labour - Invalids and Social Affairs, up to now, there has been no big change in labour and employment nationwide. Most enterprises and production and business establishments, especially large firmsthat employ a lot of workers, have remained stable and maintained their normal operation without a large shortage of labour.The System of Employment Service Centres, except for not organising employment sessions with a large numbers of job seekers and businesses, all service activities providing for workers and businesses have been normal, without any disturbance.

Regarding the number of enterprises suspending operations, narrowing production scale, according to reports of 30 out of63 provinces and cities, out of 181,597 enterprises, 322 enterprises suspended operation (accounting for 0.18 percent), 553 enterprises downsized or narrowed production and business (accounting for 0.3 percent).Out of 5,060 cooperatives, 25 cooperatives suspended operations (accounting for 0.5 percent) and five cooperatives reduced their size or narrowed their business (accounting for 0.09 percent). Among 298,212 households, one household suspended operation (accounting for 0.0003 percent) whiletwo households reduced scale or narrowed their business (accounting for 0.0006 percent).

According to reports from 22 out of the63 provinces and cities, of the total of 8,773 labourersthat are affected, the agriculture, forestry and fishery sector has 3,227 people (accounting for 36.8 percent); the water supply, waste management and treatment industry has 2,252 people (accounting for 25.7 percent); the transportation, warehousing has 1,121 people (accounting for 12.8 percent); the wholesale and retail industry; and the repairing of automobiles, motors, motorbikes and other motor vehicles industry has 665 people (accounting for 7.6 percent). Other industries have affected labourers in a small quantity.

The number of unemployed people was 1,027, mainly in the accommodation and catering service industry (365 people, accounting for 35.5 percent) and the processing and manufacturing industry (106 people, accounting for 10.3 percent). The remaining job losses were scattered in other industries.

Enterprises join hands to prevent the epidemic

According to Minister of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung, after the Lunar New Year, the labour market had not changed much. There has been no scarcity of labour as in previous years, because businesses have been active in the labour force as well as regimes for employees. By this time, 98 percent of businesses and workers nationwide have returned to operation.

Minister Dao Ngoc Dung also said if the epidemic were prolonged, with the dependent material sources, many businesses would surely face difficulties, especially small and medium-sized ones, resulting in some workers having to temporarily quit their jobs or move to other jobs. Therefore, the labour market would have fluctuations. But it is forecasted that this fluctuation was not large, especially for large-scale manufacturing. However, unemployment might increase in labour-intensive production areas such as the leather and footwear industry, apparel or some material-dependent industries from China and countries heavily affected by COVID-19.

Regarding the number of employees, are presentative of AlutecVina Company said the company had 1,650 employees, including 27 South Korean employees. After the Tet holiday, all workers went back to work. Concerning the prevention of the Covid-19 epidemic, the company propagated to staff, handed out leaflets, asked staff to wear masks and check the body temperature of people entering and leaving.

According to Choi Joo Ho, General Director of Samsung Vietnam, before the outbreak of COVID-19, the company's leaders and trade unions updated the Ministry of Health's epidemic prevention guidelines to propagate to all staff to raise awareness about COVID-19 prevention. The Thai Nguyen branch has implemented 28 body temperature cameras at all ports to monitor body temperature. Not only that, all 54,000 are measured temperature with modern equipment every day. When entering the company, all employees and guests can use hand sanitiserand measure body temperature. The company has also increased disinfection spraying two times per day at six locations; disinfectant layout (71 positions).When any employee is found to have a fever, theywill be moved into the isolated area in the medical station and dormitory (more than 200 rooms). The enterprise has prepared 100 specialised anti-infectious clothes and suspended activities with a large number of participants.

The company also strengthened propaganda (through the speaker system, leaflets, and banners), guiding workers how to prevent and fight the epidemic, andhanded out a questionnaire to all workers to find out if they visited epidemic sites, or reach out to suspected people.