Hanoi (VNA) – It is forecastthat Vietnam’s total workforce will near 54.26 million people in the thirdquarter of this year, up 0.44 percent from the previous quarter and 0.91percent annually.

Several sectors need more workers, includingbeverages, weaving, printing, rubber, plastics and water drainage.

Fewer labourers will be seen inagro-forestry-fisheries, crude oil and natural fuel, mining, automobiles andfurniture manufacturing.

During a seminar on the Vietnamese labourmarket held by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) onSeptember 18, Director of the MoLISA’s Institute of Labour and Social AffairsDao Quang Vinh said in the second quarter, there were more than 54 millionemployees, up some 1 percent year-on-year.

The biggest decrease in employment was seenin agro-forestry-fisheries with nearly 180,000 jobs gone, followed bymanufacturing and processing, financial-banking, administrative and supportservices. Meanwhile, retail and wholesale, automobile repair, construction andeducation-training sectors hired more workers.

The unemployment rate nationwide fell butthat among youths rose considerably by more than 511,000 people.

Vinh said the rate of young jobless people inAsia was 10 percent, or even 20-30 percent in several countries. In Vietnam,the rate was 7 percent, lower than the average.

Also during the second quarter, income inalmost sectors dropped slightly from the first quarter, except construction andentertainment. Mining and manufacturing and processing sectors offered lowersalaries.

Paid workers with bachelor’s degrees earnedthe most, about 7.87 million VND (342 USD) each month.

Up to 16.5 percent of paid workers were inthe low-income group, while 52.8 percent were manual labourers.-VNA