51.3 million people in Vietnam aged 15 and above were employed during the first quarter of 2024, an increase of 174,100 compared to 2023, or 0.34 percent. The unemployment rate among the country’s working-age population has fallen by 2.24% compared to the same period last year.
Vietnam climbed 8 spots from 115th to 107th in the latest Human Development Index (HDI) rankings, reaffirming its position among developing countries with high HDI scores.
In Decision No 262/QD-TTg dated April 1, 2024, the Prime Minister approved the implementation plan for the National Power Development Master Plan in the 2021-2030 period with a vision to 2050.
In its April 2024 Asian Development Outlook (ADO) report, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has maintained its earlier forecast for Vietnam’s economic growth this year, despite ongoing uncertainties from the external environment. Vietnam’s economy is expected to achieve a growth rate of 6.0% in 2024 and 6.2% in 2025.
The Commemoration of the Hung Kings and the Hung Kings Temple Festival are among the most important festivals of the year for Vietnamese people. The worship of the Hung Kings is not only part of the cultural identity of the Vietnamese community but has also transcended national boundaries to become an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The 10th National External Information Service Awards in 2024 continues to recognise works and products in 10 categories: video clips, initiatives and products with external information value, photos, TV broadcasts, radio broadcasts, books, print newspapers, electronic newspapers and websites in Vietnamese, and print newspapers, electronic newspapers, and websites in foreign languages.
Booking.com unveiled a list in late March of unique and surprising destinations in the Asia-Pacific region that provide world-class experiences. Mui Ne in Phan Thiet district, Binh Thuan province, was among the list’s top five.
Vietnam’s industrial sector posted significant growth in the first quarter of 2024, of an estimated 6.18% compared to the first quarter of 2023. In particular, manufacturing and processing saw robust growth of 6.98%.
During the upcoming National Reunification Day (April 30) and May Day (May 1) holiday, in addition to regular train services, the railway sector will increase the number of trips to make travel more convenient and will also apply preferential policies and discounts.
A total of 36,244 new enterprises were set up in the first quarter of this year with combined registered capital of 332.2 trillion VND (13.3 billion USD), up 6.9% in number and 7% in capital.
Son Doong Cave in the central province of Quang Binh has been ranked sixth among the 10 most beautiful caves in the world by British travel magazine Time Out. With 38.5 million cubic metres of space, the 9-kilometre-long cave is the world’s largest natural cave.
China has long been Vietnam’s largest trading partner, with two-way trade consistently exceeding 100 billion USD since 2018. Trade between the two neighbours reached 171.85 billion USD last year.
Coconuts have been designated one of the six primary national industrial crops by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. It is projected that the country’s coconut cultivation area will expand to 195,000-210,000 hectares by 2030, resulting in a substantial harvest of over 2 million tonnes.