Data released by the Da Nang Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs show that in 2020 and the first 5 months of 2021, 191,500 people in Da Nang stopped working temporarily, lost their jobs, along with more than 40,300 freelancers had no work because of the coronavirus pandemic.

COVID-19 causes unprecedented jobs crisis, and thousands of people in Da Nang are struggling to make ends meet, they're being forced to look for temporary work.

Many people who have lost their jobs due to the impact of COVID-19 are forced to become GrabBike drivers to make ends meet. Photo: T.V

More than 45,000 out of 56,000 workers in the Da Nang tourism industry have lost their jobs during the pandemic, the Da Nang Tourism Association’s latest figure shows. These unemployed are struggling to survive with such precarious jobs as GrabBike drivers, online sellers, construction helpers, and porters.

Mr. Huynh Tan Phap, the Director of the Suoi Hoa Eco-Tourism Site, said: “We faced many difficulties due to the impact of COVID-19 over the past nearly two years. We prepared for welcoming guests back on the occasion of National Reunification Day on April 30 and and International Labour on May 1 as the COVID-19 situation was brought under control in Da Nang at that time. The resurgence of the virus in the city had a negative impact on the operations of our tourism site and lives of our employees. Thus, we are in need of timely support from the national and municipal governments to get through these challenging times.”

The Da Nang tourism industry has been "frozen" for nearly two years due to the crisis, and more than 90% of hospitality workers have lost their jobs or temporarily stopped working without pay, according to Mr. Cao Tri Dung, the Chairman of the municipal Tourism Association.

In its efforts to support the unemployed hospitality workers, the Da Nang government has approved to facilitate them to access preferential loans from the Da Nang Branch of the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies with an annual interest rate of 7.92%. Till date, about 2,000 people have applied for a coronavirus loan from this bank.

During his recent meeting with representatives from the Da Nang Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, municipal Party Committee Secretary Nguyen Van Quang called for urgent action to develop sources and policies to help people who are struggling financially during the pandemic, especially hospitality workers.

Mr. Nguyen Dang Hoang, the Director of the municipal Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, in the coming time, said the focus will be on speeding up the procedures to help the city’s most vulnerable people affected by the crisis, including hospitality workers, to get financial support from the national government. In addition, the heed will be paid on organising more job fairs and expanding links with elsewhere in the Central Viet Nam and Central Highlands to offer more employment opportunities for job seekers in Da Nang during the pandemic.

Reporting by THANH VAN – Translating by H.L