A woman looks for job information at a jobs fair. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The total average income from all jobs of wage earners increased in the first quarter of this year, while the unemployment rate dropped significantly during the period, according to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA).

The average income rose to VNĐ6.94 million (US$300) per month, the ministry said at a press briefing on the latest workforce figures held in Hà Nội on Wednesday.

The increase was recorded in almost all groups, ranging from VNĐ944,000 to VNĐ1.4 million, depending on the level of workers, in comparison with the fourth quarter of 2018.

The number of unemployed during the period totalled 1,059,000, down 3,280 from late 2018 and a drop of 7,980 compared with the same period last year.

The highest unemployment rate was reported in the Mekong Delta with 2.79 per cent. That was followed by the north central, central coastal, southeastern, Red River and Central Highlands regions, with 2.64, 2.43, 1.68 and 1.27 per cent, respectively.

The number of people with jobs during the first quarter totalled 54.32 million, representing a fall of 0.38 per cent against late 2018, but a rise of 0.61 per cent year-on-year.

Đào Quang Vinh, director of the ministry's Institute of Labour Science and Social Affairs, said sectors that recorded the highest increase in the number of workers in the first quarter included the processing industry, manufacturing and transport.

The ministry forecasts nearly 54.58 million people to be employed in the second quarter of the year.
MoLISA Deputy Minister Doãn Mậu Diệp said the average unemployment rate was forecast to reach 2 per cent in the second quarter.
Sectors such as processing, manufacturing, construction, retail and wholesale are expected to need more labourers.
However, the demand for labourers is expected to drop in the agriculture, forestry, seafood, mining, finance, and banking and insurance sectors, he said. — VNS