In his address at the regular meeting of the Da Nang People's Council on the morning of October 15, Chairman Luong Nguyen Minh Triet highlighted the need to take all necessary to address a major labour shortage exacerbated by the latest wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chairman Luong Nguyen Minh Triet delivers his address at the regular meeting of the Da Nang People’s Council on the morning of October 15. Photo: TRONG HUY

Chairman Triet said that the city is in need of additional 8,000-9,000 employees as immigrant workers left Da Nang for their hometowns due to COVID-19 and they may not return to the city.

He therefore asked the municipal People's Committee to pay attention to improving living standards of workers in Da Nang, offering housing to them, ensuring their social welfare. Mr Triet remarked that post-COVID worker shortage is of great concern to Da Nang.

Latest figures from the municipal People's Committee show that there are currently about 50,000 people who are working without a contract across Da Nang. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused 29,000 people to lose their jobs, more than 12,000 employees to be suspended their contracts, and more than 27,000 workers to be terminated their contracts.

As of late August 2021, over 11,500 people had registered and applied for unemployment benefits, down 58.5% on the same period of 2020, and more than 212 billion VND in total unemployment benefits had been paid for 11,000 people.

In the coming time, the city will establish closer links with businesses to learn about their recruitment needs, open job hunting platforms in order to help business address their labour shortage.

The Da Nang Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Chairman Ngo Xuan Thang suggested the city consider exempting and reducing apartment rental fees for workers with unstable earnings due to COVID-19. Previously, the Da Nang Committee of VFF had called on landlords to exempt or reduce rental fees for tenants who are struggling financially due to coronavirus.

Reporting by TRONG HUY – Translating by H.L