Enterprises are looking to hire more than 20,000 workers in May, an increase of more than 6,000 over the last month, according to the HCM City Labour Market Information and Manpower Needs Forecasting Centre.

Tran Anh Tuan, the Centre’s Deputy Head, said that enterprises and companies are continuing to give priority this month to people trained in vocational schools and universities, although specific numbers can decline or increase slightly.

Of the more than 20,000 workers sought this month, 20 percent are for graduates of vocational schools, a decrease of nine percent compared to April. Meanwhile, the need for college and university graduates shows a slight increase of three percent over April at 32 percent.

The need for manual labour increased to 48 percent from 43 percent in April, Tuan said.

Textiles, footwear, IT, construction and transport industries are likely to do the bulk of hiring this month, and they are likely to need even more workers next month.

The hotel and finance-banking-accounting industries are other industries likely to need more workers next months, the centre estimates.

It says that in the first four months of this year, the city’s economy remained stable and the policy supports provided by authorities boosted production and trading, leading to the increase in demand for employees.

Manpower need for April was 13,840, an increase of 33 percent over March, acording to the centre.
Tuan said that enterprises and companies are also likely to give priority to those with work experience, so more than 50 percent of fresh graduates will face difficulties finding jobs in the coming months.

The HCM City People’s Committee recently announced a plan for the implementation of the City Youth Development Programme for 2011-15.

The city aims to create new jobs for 100.000 young people each year, reduce the unemployment rate among youth to under four percent and ensure that 80 percent of young people feet career consultations.

If the programme is successful, 70 percent of young people will be high school graduates by 2015 and over 90 percent will get practical training in a specific field of their choose.

All young people working in joy industrial and service industries such as information and technology, banking, food processing, tourism, and education and health will receive adequate professional training.

At least 60 percent of the city’s public employees and officials, especially those working at district and commune levels, will receive annual training in public governance and management skills.