Hanoi creates 14,000 new jobs despite Covid-19

Since the fourth wave of Covid-19 hit the capital city in late April, the Hanoi Employment Service Center has enhanced online connectivity for businesses and employees that created jobs for 14,000 workers.

Businesses in the city have continued to hire workers with a salary of VND7-10 million (US$306-438) per month, despite severe impacts from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Vu Quang Thanh, deputy director of the Hanoi Employment Service Center under the municipal Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, said that from August 1 to August 15, 2021, the center received vacancy requests from 240 enterprises for hiring more than 2,700 workers.

A young volunteer at the Hanoi Employment Service Center is handling administrative procedures to settle unemployment insurance policies for employees. Photo: Oanh Tran

The fields in need of workforce are garment, mechanics, electricity, electronics, delivery, freight transportation, confectionery production, among others.

For instances, Yamaguchi Vietnam Joint Stock Company needed to recruits 100 unskilled workers and 40 technicians to operate machines; Maxcore - Garment Co., Ltd. recruited 100 workers; Vinsmart Research and Production Joint Stock Company recruited 100 workers to produce electronic components.

“In the first half of August, the Hanoi Employment Service Center received the job applications of 1,480 workers, mostly seeking unskilled jobs, such as loading and unloading goods, goods delivery, among others. In July, the center found jobs for over 13,600 workers,” Thanh told The Hanoi Times.

In face of the serious pandemic situation, the Hanoi Employment Service Center has developed three scenarios for the labor market in the coming time.

In the first scenario, as the Covid-19 pandemic is put under control, social distancing in Hanoi ends, vaccination against coronavirus keeps being towards herd immunity accelerated. The center predicts the monthly number of laid-off workers would be about 3,000 - 4,000 and 12 - 15% of enterprises would be affected.

In the second scenario, social distancing measures are still in place but the number of Covid-19 patients is under control, economic recovery is slow. The center forecast that the monthly number of unemployed workers will be about 5,000 - 6,000 and 20-25% of the businesses would be affected.

Businesses in the city continue to hire workers with a salary of VND7-10 million (US$306-438) per month. Photo: Oanh Tran

In the worst-case scenario, the Covid-19 pandemic cannot be controlled, the number of new cases in the community increases, social distancing is prolonged, halting many production and business activities. The Center expected that the monthly number of unemployed workers will increase, up to 7,000 - 8,000 people and up to 30-40% of the businesses would be affected.

Deputy Director Vu Quang Thanh said that his organization continues to update recruitment information of enterprises and job applications of workers into the supply - demand database to support the labor market. Besides, the organization will strengthen online connections for businesses and employees via Zalo, Facebook, among other social media platforms.

Earlier, the Hanoi People's Committee set a job plan to put effort into creating some 160,000 jobs for workers by the end of 2021 despite the negative impacts of Covid-19 pandemic on almost aspects of life.

Under the plan, the city expects to effectively roll out industrial programs and projects, lure more investment projects into industrial zones as well as fostering craft villages in the direction of improving quality, efficiency and competitiveness.

The municipal authorities will also apply new technologies and take a number of measures to tighten the linkage between vocational education and businesses to develop the labor market.

"Hanoi will perform synchronous solutions to support the development of small and medium enterprises in the period of 2021-25, promoting start-ups and innovation," noted the plan.