Accelerated economic growth is helping the labour market, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) said on October 30. The gross domestic product expanded by 6.1, 6.4 and 6.8 percent in the first, second and third quarters of 2015, respectively, MoLISA said. It was expected to reach 6.9 percent in the last three months and exceed 6.5 percent for the year. The number of employed people is expected to stand at 52.9 million in Q3, up 0.81 percent from the previous quarter, and 53.1 million in Q4, up 0.34 percent quarterly. Between July and September, Vietnam posted a 54.31-million-strong workforce, making up 76.01 percent of all citizens aged 15 years old and above. The figure is estimated at 54.43 million for Q4, or 76.11 percent, while the unemployment rate is expected to drop slightly to 2.38 percent. The ministry said job vacancies in businesses in 2015 were predicted to grow by 360,000, or 3.27 percent over last year, bringing the number of people working in the sector to 12.32 million. Official data showed that 52.53 million people were employed in Q2, a 103,000 increase over the previous three months. The processing and manufacturing industry recorded the fastest-growing number of labourers (up by 223,000) from April to June, followed by information and communications (178,000), construction (113,000), and trade and repairs (77,000). Meanwhile, the biggest employment decreases were seen in education-training (181,000); agro-forestry-fisheries (114,000); and jobs related to Party activities, socio-political organisations and security-defence (98,000). MoLISA Deputy Minister Doan Mau Diep highlighted an employment pressure decrease in Q2 thanks to continued economic turnover. He also pointed out Vietnamese labourers’ limited capacity, which would be a big challenge when workers in eight professions became able to move freely within ASEAN after the ASEAN Community was set up on December 31 this year. He suggested drastic moves be taken to improve human resource quality, enhance workers’ access to job information and assure businesses have a thorough grasp of the labour structure so they can take appropriate action. All of these things were necessary for the formation of the ASEAN Community, he said.-VNA