The unemployment rate among Vietnam’s work force was 2.88 percent in 2010.

The General Statistics Office (GSO) announced at a press briefing in Hanoi on Dec. 31 that the rate at urban area was 4.43 percent and rural area, 2.27 percent.

Compared to last year, the country’s unemployment rate decreased by 0.02 percent with the urban area down 0.17 percent, while the rural area was up 0.02 percent.

According to the GSO, Vietnam has 50.51 million people aged from 15 in 2010, a year-on-year increase of 2.68 percent, including 46.21 million people at the working age, a rise of 2.12 percent.

The agency also reported a rate of working-age population of 77.3 percent in 2010 compared to 76.5 percent in 2009.

The rate of workers at agro-forestry and fishery sector decreased from 51.9 percent in 2009 to 48.2 percent in 2010while taht of the industry and construction sectors uincreased from 21.6 percent to 22.4 percent and service sector, up from 26.5 percent to 29.4 percent./.