Unemployment in Vietnam expected to hit 1.3 million in 2022

Among Southeast Asian countries, Vietnam ranks second, while Indonesia takes top place at 6.1 million unemployed.
By: | January 21, 2022

The number of those who are unemployed in Vietnam is expected to hit 1.3 million this year, higher than the 1.2 million registered in 2021, according to a report by the  International Labour Organisation (ILO).

Among Southeast Asian countries, Vietnam ranks second, while Indonesia takes top place at 6.1 million unemployed. The Philippines follows in third place, at 1.1 million. 

In Q3′ 2021, Vietnam’s unemployment rate increased to 3.72% , the highest since early 2020 at the onslaught of the pandemic, based on data from the General Statistics Office. Over the quarter, there were some 49.2 million workers aged 15 and above, recording a fall of 1.9 million compared to Q2’2021. 

“The complicated COVID-19 situations significantly affected people’s lives in the first nine months of 2021,” said ILO in a statement.

READ: Firms in Vietnam employed over 14.7 million workers in 2020

The pandemic has also driven many workers into informal jobs. “The COVID-19 has pulled many into unemployment while driving some into informal work. The dramatic increase of informal workers in 2020 is in contrast to its decreasing trend in recent years”, commented Vu Thi Thu Thuy, Director of GSO’s Department of Data Collection and Applying Information Technology to Statistics, in a separate statement.