The General Statistics Office (GSO) has urged designing specific support packages for disadvantaged labour groups in the context of 57.3% of labourers from 15 years old and above seeing their income reduce under the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact.

Those groups are women and workers without training.

 The agency said it is necessary to push forward with the implementation of support policies targeting enterprises and other business and production establishments, particularly those operating in sectors hard hit by COVID-19 such as processing and manufacturing, wholesale and retail, accommodation and catering services, and transport.

According to the GSO, the State should make policies to encourage labourers to learn new knowledge and skills to meet employers’ requirements in the “new normal” state, while helping employers provide training to workers and apply new technologies.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted employment and jobs of 30.8 million people of the working age, with women, workers without training and those working in the informal sectors being the hardest hit.

The Government has issued several policies to ease difficulties for both employers and labourers, including Resolution 42/NQ-CP dated April 9, 2020 on measures to support people affected by COVID-19.

Under Resolution VND42, a 62 trillion support package has been launched. As of the end of June, more than VND11.3 trillion had been distributed to 11.2 million beneficiaries.