In the first nine months of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic produced negative impacts on the domestic job market as up to 31.8 million workers lost their jobs and were forced to alternative leave and income reduction. 

COVID-19 negatively affects 31.8 million workers in nine months

The aforementioned figure was announced by the General Statistics Office (GSO) during a press conference on the labor and employment situation in Q3 and the January-September period, in Ha Noi on October 6.

Among the three sectors of the economy, the service sector was most severely hit by the disease, with 68.9% of its workers affected, followed by the industrial and construction sector with 66.4%.

A positive signal is that in the third quarter of the year, the labor and employment situation and laborers’ income improved compared to the previous quarter.

Specifically, the labor force aged 15 or above in Q3 was reported at 54.6 million, an increase of 1.4 million from Q2 but 1.1 million fewer than the number recorded in Q3 2019.

Meanwhile, the working-age labor force reached 48.6 million, 1.8 million more than the Q2 figure and a year-on-year decline of 638,900.

Between January and September, the working-age population unemployed was approximately 1.2 million, accounting for 2.48% of the total working-age laborers and an increase of more than 132,000 compared to the same period in 2019, the GSO said.

Laborers’ earnings improve in Q3

The labor and employment survey results for Q3 2020 show that workers continued to be adversely affected by COVID-19. 

In the time ahead, the GSO recommended continuing to implement aid packages in accordance with the Government’s Resolution No. 42/NQ-CP, ensuring that they support the right subjects in a timely and effective manner. Priority should be given to assisting groups of workers, including official and nonofficial employees in enterprises and business establishments.

In addition, the implementation of support policies for enterprises and production establishments needs to be accelerated to help recover economic activities of all industries, especially those heavily hit by the pandemic, the agency stated.