41,500 workers lose jobs as demand, manufacturing plummet

The Vietnam General Confederation of Labor said Monday those in labor-intensive businesses like textile, leather, wood, and seafood processing have been affected.

Many businesses have been seeing orders plummet as demand falls in markets like the U.S., Europe and Japan, and also face huge difficulties sourcing raw materials and from rising costs.

These have directly affected 472,000 workers, the confederation said at an online conference held to discuss the issue. Of these, 41,500 have lost their jobs.

The affected include 30,300 women aged 35 and above, and 9,400 who were either pregnant or have children aged under one.

The confederation expects the problem to continue until mid-2023.

Phan Van Anh, its deputy head, said unions should negotiate with employers to minimize job losses, especially for pregnant women and those with infants, ensure workers benefit from insurance and help people find new jobs.