Hanoi (VNA) – A total of 2.4 million jobs have been lostin Vietnam in the first two quarters this year, the biggest reduction for theperiod in the past decade, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to DeputyMinister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Le Van Thanh.

Speaking at a thematic conference held by the Party Committee of thebloc of central agencies in Hanoi on September 15, the deputy minister underlinedthe severe impacts of the pandemic on production and business activities inmost industries and sectors. A large number of enterprises had to suspendoperation or dissolve in the past months, seriously affecting the labourmarket.

He also cited figures of the General Statistics Office, which showed17.6 million labourers suffered from reduction of income, with average incomein the second quarter standing at 5.2 million VND (over 223 USD), down 525,000VND from the first quarter and 279,000 VND from the same period last year.

Deputy Minister Thanh stressed that considering the current situationand forecasts on pandemic developments and socio-economic conditions, tasks andsolutions should be developed based on the principle of being ready to co-existwith the pandemic.

According to Thanh, solutions in terms of labour, employment and socialsecurity from now to the end of the year should address two goals at the sametime, which are to help labourers overcome the current difficulties and createfirm prerequisites for production and business activities in the long run.

He said there are two main groups of solutions,which are short-term and long-term ones, but both groups should be implementedat the same time.

Besides providing immediate support to labourers and enterprises, it isimportant to prevent social inequality from arising or worsening due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, Thanh said./.