Stable labour supply chain key to Vietnam’s post-pandemic recovery

Building stable labour supply chains and focusing on income and social security is one of the solutions to a post-pandemic economic recovery, said Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Le Van Thanh. 

The pandemic has left negative effects on the labour market and impacted workers’ jobs and incomes, he said, reports VNA. Labour supply fell sharply while the number of employed workers fell to its lowest level in years, he highlighted. 

The average monthly wages of workers also fell from VND 6.7 million (US$289) in 2019 to VND 5.3 million (US$229) in 2021.

Over the period, there has also been a reverse trend of some 1.3 million workers moving from urban areas to rural areas and from big economic hubs to localities.

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Although the majority of industries have entered the recovery period and have begun to record growth, labour supply still remains limited and is unable to meet demand, Thanh noted. 

Certain industries like textile-garment, electronic assembling, wood processing, and tourism and education are still facing shortages, he said.