VietNamNet Bridge – Nearly 12 percent of young urban residents aged 15-24 are jobless, three times more than in rural areas, according to the General Statistics Office’s data on the first nine months of this year.

The survey showed that the industrial sector provided more jobs as of September 1, up by 0.7 percent from the previous month, and up by 4.2 percent compared to the same period last year.

Employment in State-owned enterprises was stable, while that in private and foreign businesses recorded an increase of 4.2-5.6 percent.

The number of employees in the mining sector decreased by 3.6 percent. Processing, engineering, manufacturing and power industries, water supply, and waste treatment services employed 2.6-4.8 percent more young people than last year.

The labour force in industrial cities and provinces is stronger than the same period last year, including the northern provinces of Vinh Phuc, Quang Ninh and Bac Ninh; the central provinces of Quang Nam and Quang Ngai; Ho Chi Minh City; and the southern provinces of Dong Nai, Binh Duong and Can Tho.

Thai Nguyen, Nghe An, Hau Giang and Lao Cai employed the largest number of workers, with a number of enterprises expanding or commencing their operations. Their respective workforces increased by 79.7 percent, 45.5 percent, 25.6 percent, and 21 percent.

As of October 1, Vietnam’s workforce comprises 54.4 million, 583,200 more people than in the 2013 same period. Over half of the workforce is male (51.6 percent).

During the first nine months of this year, the number of workers aged 15 and older was estimated at 53.4 million, an annual increase of 642,900. The majority, 47 percent, work in the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors; 21.1 percent in industry and 31.9 percent in the services sector.

VNA/VNN