Workers at a stuffed toy factory in Du Long Industrial Zone, the south-central province of Ninh Thuận. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The monthly average income of Vietnamese labourers in 2023 reached VNĐ7.1 million (over US$291) per person, up 6.9 per cent compared to 2022, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO).

Meanwhile, the average incomes of male and female workers stood at VNĐ8.1 million and VNĐ6 million, respectively.

In the fourth quarter of 2023, the living standard of workers was improved as the average income rose by VNĐ180,000 per month compared to the previous quarter to VNĐ7.3 million, or 2.5 per cent quarter-on-quarter, nearly doubling the rate recorded in the fourth quarter of 2022 – just after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The improvement in labourer income was attributed to enterprises ramping up production and business activities driven by an increasing number of orders.

Increasing average income in the last quarter of 2023 was seen across regions nationwide, with the Red River Delta region in the north experiencing the highest growth of 3.5 per cent quarter-on-quarter and 8.2 per cent year-on-year. Meanwhile, the Southeast region – which embraces the biggest economic centre HCM City – recorded the lowest growth of approximately 2.3 per cent.

Although income growth in the Southeast region is slower compared to other areas, it no longer leads in terms of unemployment among the working-age population. Notably, the unemployment rate in HCM City has decreased to 2.91 per cent as many businesses have more orders and are expanding production, leading to increasing demand for recruiting workers.

The office reported that localities nationwide have strengthened job transaction connections, contributing to increasing the number of employed labourers to 51.3 million people in the fourth quarter of 2023, up 130,000 compared to the previous quarter.

The number of labourers losing their jobs in the period decreased by nearly 33,000 to 85,000, it said. — VNS