MoLISA deputy minister Doan Mau Diep speaks at the conference.

Nearly 13 million participate in unemployment insurance

Evaluating ten years of implementing the unemployment insurance policy, deputy head of Department of Employment Le Quang Trung, said over the past decade, the number of people participating in and paying unemployment insurance had increased consistently, meeting targets set by the Prime Minister. Some 5.9 million people participated in unemployment insurance in 2009 and the number rose to 10.3 million and 12.6 million in 2015 (the first year the Law on Employment come to force) and 2018, respectively, up 7.7 percent compared to 2017 and equal with 87.7 percent of the total number of social insurance participants of 13 million; more than 361,000 agencies have participated in unemployment insurance so far.

The total amount of unemployment insurance payments has been increasing year by year. By 2018, the average monthly contribution of labourers to the fund was more than VND4.9 million, up 9.94 percent compared to 2017; the total unemployment insurance revenue in 2018 was VND15.5 trillion (US$668.7 million), up 14.9 per cent compared to 2017 (VND13.5 trillion, equal to $581.4 million).

Job consultancy has attracted a lot of attention; the number of people receiving career advice services has increased, accounting for more than 96.8 per cent of people who receive unemployment benefits. In 2018, more than 1.3 million people received consultations and found job opportunities, ten times higher than the number in 2010. More than 180,000 unemployed people have been offered vocational training courses and many of them were able to find work. Localities with relatively high number of people receiving vocational training assistance included HCM City, Hanoi, Dong Nai and Binh Duong among others.

Five million people get unemployment insurance benefits, and the number has kept increasing. They are offered information on the labour market and social insurance ID cards to find jobs and use medical services during their unemployment period.

Humanity and promoted social cohesion

Deputy Minister Doan Mau Hiep said the unemployment insurance policy had been supported by both employers and employees over the past ten years, becoming their fulcrum and contributing to ensuring social welfare. The fund has ensured the principle of sharing and demonstrating mutual support in the business community, between large enterprises and small businesses; among workers who are at low risk or high risk of losing their jobs, which demonstrates humanity and promotes social cohesion.

However, according to the deputy minister, there have been some shortcomings, including the lack of preventative solutions to reduce dismissal or sustain employment for workers and procedures to support enterprises to sustain jobs and inclusive assistance policies.

Deputy head of the Department of Employment Le Quang Trung said by 2021 it was set to have 28 percent of people of working age participating in unemployment insurance, all through electronic transactions, reaching online public service level 4; the number was expected to rise to 35 percent and 45 per cent in 2025 and 2031, respectively./.