The resurgence of the COVID-19’s fourth wave has disrupted the recovery of labour market in the first six months of this year. — Photo laodong.vn

HÀ NỘI — The fourth wave of COVID-19 infections has disrupted the recovery of the labour market in the first six months of this year, said Nguyễn Trung Kiên, deputy head of the General Statistics Office (GSO).

He was speaking at a press conference on Tuesday about employment in the second quarter.

According to the GSO, more than 1.1 million people of working age were unemployed in the second quarter, an increase of 173,500 people compared to the previous quarter and down by more than 137,000 compared to the same period last year.

As many as 12.8 million people from the age of 15 nationwide have been adversely affected by the pandemic, with the impacts including losing their jobs, having their working hours and income reduced, or taking unpaid leave.

“Due to the fourth wave of COVID-19 which has spread the virus more quickly, making it more difficult to control, the unemployment rate in urban areas stands higher than rural areas," Kiên said.

More than 389,000 people from the age of 15 to 24 lost their jobs in the second quarter. The unemployment rate among the group in the urban area was 9.57 per cent, about 3.1 per cent higher than in rural areas.

Notably, 57.4 per cent of people were employed in the non-official sector in the second quarter, the highest proportion in the last three years.

The average income rate showed signs of recovery from the third quarter of last year to the first quarter of this year. But the unpredictable development of the pandemic has disrupted the recovery of average income level, the GSO deputy head said.

The majority of economic sectors recorded a declining average income compared to the previous quarter. The average monthly income stood at VNĐ6.8 million in the second quarter, down by VNĐ411,000 compared to the previous quarter.

Statistics on the employment situation in the second quarter of 2021 have reflected the difficulties and fluctuations of the economy and Việt Nam's labour market in recent years, according to the GSO.

The office has proposed a number of solutions to remove difficulties for the labour market amid the pandemic.

The GSO proposed consistently implementing the dual goals of both effective pandemic prevention and control, while also removing difficulties for the business community and employees.

The office also recommended speeding ​​up vaccination to achieve herd immunity, giving priority to frontline workers, workers in industrial parks and export processing zones to maintain production and prevent the disruption of the production chain.

Agencies must provide assistance to employers and employees affected by the pandemic, especially labourers who have their labour contracts suspended or ended or have to take unpaid leave.

People in disadvantaged groups including factory workers, owners of small businesses and workers in the non-official sector need more assistance to help them be less exposed to social evils, the GSO said. — VNS