2019 workforce sees thousands of new jobs added

At a recruitment interview (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Hanoi (VNA) - The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) will bring benefits in exports and FDI attraction, hence more jobs. The workforce in 2019 is forecast to bode well for both unskilled and skilled labourers.

[Vietnamese labourers struggle amid Industrial Revolution 4.0]

According to experts, after the lunar New Year holiday, job-seekers will see favourable recruitment demand.

Increasing recruitment demand

Le Quang Trung, Director of the Department of Employment at the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, projected Vietnam’s economy will continue its high growth in 2019. The labour market will shift to need less unskilled workers and demand more skilled ones for better quality.

In 2019, about 56 million labourers will obtain employment. The number of unskilled workers still accounts for 26.5 percent of the workforce, while that of labourers working in personal services, social order protection and technical sales make up 31.6 percent. The figures for technicians/machine operators and skilled craftsmen/workers are both at 12.4 percent.

According Trung, a survey on enterprises’ labour demand last year showed their recruitment plans of 2019 reflected improved demand, with the highest being among foreign-funded firms.

“The fourth industrial revolution is underway, leaving a strong impact on the Vietnamese labour market. In particular, a number of industries like IT always grow at a rapid pace, pushing up their demand for human resources,” said Trung.

In addition, the scarcity of human resources will lead to difficult recruitment in a number of professions, such as printing technicians, machine operators, irrigation technicians, construction engineers, mechanical engineers, food processing workers, among others.

Gaku Echizenya, General Director of Navigos Group Vietnam, also forecast a strong growth in recruitment demand in 2019. A VietnamWorks survey showed 74 percent of employers said their manpower demand will increase, of which 33 percent planned to expand their workforces when demand for recruitment was higher than 30 percent.

“According to VietnamWorks, the top 10 areas with the highest recruitment demand in 2019 are finance/investment, sales, administration/secretary, accounting, IT/software, marketing, customer care, auditing, online media and construction,” said Gaku Echizenya.   

Occupational opportunities from FDI

After the Lunar New Year holiday, experts predicted that the consumer electronics, real estate and agriculture sectors will demand more employees as new companies are about to enter the market, increasing FDI inflows. This is a great opportunity for workers.

Currently, foreign capital comes mainly from companies’ shifting their production from China to Vietnam and from FDI investment in Vietnam to serve consumers in the market and the ASEAN region.

Demand for workers will continue increasing in 2019. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Gaku Echizenya said due to FDI increase in 2019, Vietnam’s demand for middle- and high-level personnel in the manufacturing industry will grow, particularly in garment and textile, footwear and electronics.

The VietnamWorks' survey showed northern businesses all want to expand their scale. Firms operating in the electricity/electronics sector in Hai Phong and Bac Ninh planned to expand their scale in the fourth quarter of 2018. In addition, new manufacturing enterprises will come into operation from the beginning of 2019.

According to experts, following production shifting from China to Vietnam and companies’ expansion plans, the electronics sector is expected to see recruitment demand soar in 2019.

In addition, the CPTPP deal, which recently took effect, will bring many benefits to Vietnam's garment-textile industry and boost exports. The sector already has the advantage of competitive labour prices, so it is likely to attract more FDI capital and create more jobs.

Regarding employment opportunities from Vietnam’s involvement in new-generation free trade agreements, President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) Bui Van Cuong said as the labour market is becoming more powerful and dynamic, employees see more job options available. New jobs are created as a result of increasing competition between businesses and of applying advanced technologies, particularly those from the 4^th industrial revolution, to the manufacturing process.

In 2019, thousands of job opportunities are predicted for both unskilled and skilled workers, requiring continuous learning to meet increasing market demand.-VNA