THE number of unemployed workers in Vietnam is expected to rise this year to 1.3 million, higher than the 1.2 million recorded last year.
According to an International Labour Organisation (ILO) report "World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2022", this year's unemployment projection was equal to that of 2020.
It said Vietnam ranks second among Southeast Asian countries, with Indonesia at the top with 6.1 million unemployed and Philippines at third spot with 1.1 million.
The unemployment figures of Indonesia and Philippines remain the same as last year.
The Vn Express reports that according to the General Statistics Office (GSO), Vietnam's unemployment rate rose to 3.72 per cent in Q3 2021, the highest since early 2020 when the coronavirus was first detected in the country,
It had around 49.2 million workers aged 15 or more in Q3, down 1.9 million compared to Q2, and down 2.1 million against the same period the previous year.
"The complicated Covid-19 situations significantly affected people's lives in the first nine months of 2021," the ILO release said.
Since the pandemic started in Vietnam, the country has imposed lockdowns and social distancing rules several times to contain transmission of the coronavirus.
This has led many businesses to close down or only operate partially.
Major industrial hubs like Bac Giang and Bac Ninh in northern Vietnam, and Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, Dong Nai in the south were badly affected.
Reports have also estimated that around 2.2 million workers have left Vietnam's major cities and returned to their hometowns due to long lasting pandemic impacts.
Meanwhile, the number of Covid-19 cases remain high in the country with the Health Ministry confirming 16,763 cases on Tuesday.
Hanoi had the most infections with 2,935 cases, followed by Hai Phong with 1,139 and Da Nang with 943 cases.
This marks the first time ever that the daily tally in the northern port city of Hai Phong has crossed 1,000.
The Vn Express reports the Ministry confirming another 184 Covid-19 deaths, including 30 in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap and 13 in Ho Chi Minh City.
The total number of Covid deaths is now 35,972, accounting for around 1.7 per cent of all infections.
On Tuesday, the northern province of Quang Ninh announced two Omicron infections.
The number of Omicron cases in Vietnam is now 70 and all are foreign arrivals.
Around 72.6 million people of Vietnam's 96 million population have been vaccinated with two doses and 18.8 million have received the third doses, including the three-dose combo for Cuba's Abdala vaccine.
