Demand for recruitment at industrial and processing zones is forcast to increase in the time to come, according to the latest Vietnam Labour Market Update bulletin.

The highest demand is expected in processing and manufacturing industries (288,000 people), followed by service activities (125,000), construction (50,000), transportation and storage (12,000) and expertise, science and technology (7,000).

Total employment in the first quarter of 2014 was 52.53 million people, an increase of 620,000 compared to the same period last year, according to the bulletin. However, 25,000 fewer people were employed in comparison with the fourth quarter of 2013.

The reason for the low unemployment rate was that in the first quarter, the employment growth rate was 1.2 percent, higher than the labour force growth rate (1.1 percent).

However, General Statistics Office (GSO) Deputy Director Nguyen Van Lieu said that many challenges remained.

"Despite the increase in labourer income and job opportunities, many jobs are still unproductive, risky or unhygienic, and this should be addressed," said Lieu.

MoLISA statistics show that the labour force (defined as the economically active population aged 15 years and above) is currently 53.6 million, a decline of 118,000 people compared to the fourth quarter of 2013 but an increase of 592,000 people in comparison with the same period last year.

Conducted by MoLISA and the GSO with support from the International Labour Organisation, the bulletin aimed to analyse new trends in the labour market in order to improve labour policy-making.-VNA