Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Ha Noi, Dec. 18 (VNA) -- About 1.4 million jobs are expected to be created in 2001, says the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA).

It says the National Fund for Job Creation alone will help about 350,000 people find jobs and send 40,000-45,000 guest workers and experts abroad.

The Government also plans to invest more capital in agriculture development; issue policies to encourage the young to work in mountainous, remote and isolated areas; reform administrative procedures and spread information about domestic and foreign labour markets.

In addition, policies for workers will come into focus in the re-arrangement of State-owned enterprises, SoEs and the Government expects to help about 250,000 redundant workers from 5,400 SoEs find jobs between 2001 and 2003.

Laws and subordinate laws will be changed to create conditions for enterprises to implement labour contracts and help workers fund jobs.

MoLISA says about 1.3 million jobs have been created so far this year. Many jobs creation measures have been introduced such as establishing funds to help enterprises to develop high technology; encouraging development of businesses that need only limited investment capital and exploit many workers; boosting SoE equitization and preventing mass dismissas; continuing the re-structuring of rural labour through job diversification; expanding markets and providing vocational training for guest workers.

Measures to manage the migration into major cities in search of work and help for workers to shift to new economic areas were also implemented.

Further, investment was concentrated on agriculture development; trading villages, agro-forestry and fish farming.

Viet Nam's total work force at July 1, 2000 was 38.6 million. The surveyed figure showed an average yearly increase of 975,000 people or 2.7 percent from July 1, 1996.

The number of jobless was estimated total 800,000 and the under-employed one million by the end of this year.

So even with the creation of 1.4 million jobs each year, the number of workers needing employment will still be high by the end of 2005.

A reduction of per capita acreage for cultivation is blamed for the shortage of work in rural Viet Nam, resulting in an increase in unvestrided unrestricted to urban areas.

The number of rural labourers to find permanent jobs in Ho Chi Minh City is 70,000 and 20,000 in Ha Noi.--VNA