As many as 9.1 million Vietnamese people aged 15 and above were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the first quarter of this year, Director of the Department of Population and Labour Statistics under the General Statistics Office (GSO) Pham Hoai Nam told a press conference on April 16.
Hanoi (VNA) - As many as 9.1 million Vietnamese peopleaged 15 and above were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the first quarterof this year, Director of the Department of Population and Labour Statisticsunder the General StatisticsOffice (GSO) Pham Hoai Nam told a press conference on April 16.
Nam said that of those affected, 540,000 people lost their jobs and 2.8 millionhad to temporarily cease business and production activities.
Meanwhile, 3.1 million people said they had their hours cut or were forced totake time off from work, while 6.5 million workers reported reductions in theirincome.
Workers in urban areas were more severely affected than those in rural areas,with 15.6 percent of those in urban areas still affected, compared to 10.4percent in rural areas.
Nguyen Minh Huy, deputy director of the department, said Vietnam recorded fewerworkers in the first quarter of 2021 both quarter-on-quarter and year-on-year. Vietnamhas long posted rising numbers of workers each year.
The workforce totalled 51 million people in the quarter, down 1.1 million quarter-on-quarterand nearly 181,000 year-on-year.
The GSO said the third wave of COVID-19 in Vietnam affected the recovery of thecountry’s labour market, pushing a lot of people, especially women, into theinformal economy.
The number of employed workers aged 15 and over in the first quarter was49.9 million, down more than 959,000 against the previous quarter and nearly178.000 against the same period last year./.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Vietnam on December 22 signed a 5 million USD grant agreement, funded by the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi), to support Vietnamese women-led small and medium-sized enterprises (WSMEs) whose access to finance has been weakened because of COVID-19.
Credit loans must be always available for production and business enterprises, especially those operating in such areas as agriculture, export and high-tech, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said on December 26.
The Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) will set aside part of its accumulated trade union funds to support trade unionists and workers facing difficulties during the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday - Vietnam’s biggest traditional festival which falls in mid-February this year.
The Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank) – one of the major banks in Vietnam - on February 22 announced that it will reduce the interest rate on all existing loans for three months until May 22.
The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) received an additional 2,750 dignity kits from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) during a ceremony on March 22.
PM Pham Minh Chinh highlighted how Vietnam's revolutionary press has continuously evolved and strengthened over the past century, affirming its role as a sharp and vital political, cultural, and ideological weapon serving the Fatherland and the people in the glorious revolutionary cause of the Party.
Vietnamese Consul General in Fukuoka Vu Chi Mai highlighted the growing demand for Vietnamese workers in Kyushu, especially in Fukuoka, Oita, and Saga prefectures. Currently, the region employs about 35,000 Vietnamese manual workers and over 5,000 IT engineers.
In Vietnam’s case, she said, President Ho Chi Minh demonstrated his strategic vision by founding the revolutionary press a century ago. The late leader understood the press's role not only as a means to reflect the country’s realities but also as a powerful tool to strengthen national unity and inspire the resistance wars and national construction process.
In recent interviews granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s reporters in Mexico, prominent figures reflected on the press’s legacy and its global influence.
VietnamPlus e-newspaper of the VNA clinched an A prize in the “Outstanding Press Product” category for its immersive 3D multimedia project, “Epic of Reunification,” a groundbreaking blend of storytelling and technology. The VNA won another A prize for its eye-catching exhibition booth.
Today, the press for foreign service has evolved into a distinct, irreplaceable force, bridging Vietnam with the world and portraying a nation that is stable, peace-loving, and fully integrated into the international community.
At a review conference held on June 21, Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Van Sinh praised the province’s scientific, coordinated, and flexible approach. He noted that the early completion reflects the strong commitment of local authorities, the business community, philanthropists, and residents in improving housing conditions for disadvantaged groups.
The VNA delegation, led by General Director Vu Viet Trang, actively participated in the event, engaging in both professional and diplomatic activities.
In the context where AI dominates and produces vast volumes of content, the only sustainable path forward for journalism is to focus on high-quality content and core values. Journalism must redefine its mission - not to report the fastest, but to provide the most profound and trustworthy value.
Granma and the VNA have great potential for cooperation, especially in sharing content regularly, so that VNA products are published on Granma platforms and vice versa, thereby helping Cuban and Vietnamese people access true information and gain a deep understanding of each other's country and people.
During his stay in China’s Guangzhou city from 1924 to 1927 to prepare for the establishment of a Communist Party to lead Vietnam’s revolution, President Ho Chi Minh founded “Thanh nien” newspaper and released its first issue on June 21, 1925.
Vietnam and Cambodia are hoped to strengthen their robust collaboration across various sectors, particularly in resolving remaining border issues to transform the border area into a zone of peace, friendship, cooperation, and development.
The strategic product, managed and operated by the Vietnam News Agency Digital Media Centre (VNA Media), is an official channel for popularising the Party and State’s information and documents as well as delivering mainstream and trustworthy news to both domestic and international audiences through various kinds of multimedia formats.
Since President Ho Chi Minh founded Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper in 1925, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has become the voice of the people. During the resistance war against the colonialists, journalists took great personal risks to inspire patriotism and the will of rising up against foreign invaders.
The total investment exceeded 319 billion VND (12.2 million USD), including over 261 billion VND from the state budget and 57.5 billion VND mobilised from businesses, organisations, and individuals.
The Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang is intensifying efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing as part of the country’s goal of having the European Commission’s “yellow card” warning lifted.
Throughout its 80-year history, the VNA has remained at the forefront of information dissemination. It has consistently delivered timely, accurate, and objective reports on both domestic and international events, serving the Party’s leadership, the State’s management, and the public’s demand for official news.
With strong support from local authorities, businesses, organisations, and residents, the province has successfully built or repaired 10,707 homes for disadvantaged households, including war veterans, families of martyrs, ethnic minority people, and low-income residents.
Throughout its resistance against colonialists and imperialists, Vietnam developed a revolutionary press that has served as a benchmark for just and legitimate causes worldwide.
Participants at the press conference (Photo: VNA) 
