19,000 government workers quit in last 12 months: ministry

This represented a monthly attrition rate of 1,582, up from 1,318 the previous two years.

The education sector accounted for 54.2% of them followed by the healthcare sector (26.5%).

Most are under 50 (86.25%) with nearly half (48.65%) having a bachelor’s degree and 15.7% having a master’s degree.

Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City had the highest number of workers quitting, together accounting for 7,336.

They were followed by Can Tho City and Lam Dong, Binh Duong, Tay Ninh, Dong Nai, Ba Ria – Vung Tau, An Giang, and Tien Giang provinces.

It has become a growing trend, with Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Nguyen Duy Thang saying last October that the main reasons are the low salaries and lack of policies to attract talent.

As a result, many people with skills and knowledge are choosing to work for private companies where they are offered better benefits, he said.

Besides, the efforts to streamline the administrative apparatus in major cities like Hanoi and HCMC, which saw state agencies downsizing their payrolls, are resulting in more work and pressure for staff.

In an interview with VnExpress last June, Nguyen Thi Nhu An, 35, who works at a commune People’s Committee office in HCMC’s Binh Chanh District, said for a salary of more than VND6 million (US$258) a month, she has to work more than 10 hours a day, and has almost no time for her family or herself.

The base salary for government workers has been raised to VND1.8 million ($76.32) starting this month.

The total salary is then calculated by multiplying this by a coefficient, which depends on the employee’s level in the hierarchy.

Following the hike, the minimum total salary is set to increase by VND200,000-14.4 million ($8.50-610).