Due to impacts of the global economic crisis, Vietnam created jobs 12 percent lower than the yearly target with only more than 1.5 million employed in 2009, an employment official said.

The Vice Director of the Employment Department under the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, Le Quang Trung, told reporters on Jan. 8 that the figure, however, reflects huge efforts of both government and businesses amidst the economic difficulties.

Trung noted with pleasure that the number of workers discharged last year was 173,000, much lower than the predicted figure of 300,000.

The government’s stimulus measures contributed to maintaining both macro and microeconomic stability, thereby creating more jobs for workers, the official said.

With soft loans provided by the National Employment Fund, many small enterprises and households expanded, offering more jobs for local labourers.

Regarding this year’s directions, Trung said the ministry will continue to send labourers abroad along with creating more employment at home.

To seize post-crisis opportunities, the ministry will focus on improving the quality of human resources and developing a network of employment centres to make them available in hamlets and towns.

The government will also build systems forecasting future demands of the labour market in 44 cities and provinces, following similar structures built within the past two years in 19 localities./.