Jan-April job growth impressive in Hanoi

Some 73,300 Hanoi workers found jobs in the first four months of the year, reaching 44.4% of the annual plan, an increase of 13.4% compared to the same period in 2023.

According to the Hanoi Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, the city placed 27,700 workers in jobs in April 2024, up 60.1% month-on-month and 38.2% year-on-year.

In the same period, the Hanoi Center for Employment Services provided job counseling and placement services to 1,800 workers and supported dozens of vocational training students.

Between January and April, the city paid unemployment insurance for 19,400 people, amounting to VND623 billion ($24,523).

Jobseekers attend a job fair in Hanoi's Hai Ba Trung District in 2024. Photo: Linh Nguyen/The Hanoi Times

Nguyen Tay Nam, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, said that in the coming period, the department will intensify the dissemination of labor-related laws to workers and employers to meet the requirements of international commitments on labor for the period 2023-2030.

In particular, a conference will be held in Hanoi to provide legal knowledge on labor and social security to 12 secondary schools, colleges, and universities in the city.

"The labor market is predicted to face shortages this year and next. Therefore, the city will continue to apply job creation measures," Nam told The Hanoi Times.

He added that the Hanoi Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs is developing a labor market information system, strengthening the application of information technology, and undertaking digital transformation to employ 165,000 workers by 2024.

Other effective solutions include strengthening the links between labor supply and demand in the market, collection and updating of labor market information, review and assessment of demand by sector and field, organization of training programs to develop the skills of the workforce, and prompt response to the needs of the labor market.

The department also plans to provide employment opportunities for 20,000 people in 2024 by holding 230 job transaction sessions through online, specialized, mobile, and direct recruitment forms.

"Every year, we organize a Vocational Education Connection Day, which has helped people gain access to training institutions and companies, leading to employment opportunities," Nam said.

Hanoi vocational schools have a training target of about 235,000 people (26,000 at the college level, 29,000 at the intermediate level, and 180,000 at the basic level and through courses of less than three months). The proportion of trained workers is expected to reach 74.2%, of which 54% will be graduated or certified.

"In addition to domestic policies to support job creation, encouraging the sending of workers overseas through employment contracts is also one of the strategies to create jobs," the deputy director said.

He stressed that Hanoi continues to explore and develop new markets in Europe and America while consolidating traditional markets by taking measures to prevent contract violations and illegal workers. This year, the city will send 4,000 workers overseas, especially to markets with high and stable incomes such as Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.