In 2022, the number of people registering for unemployment insurance in Nghe An increased by nearly 30%

Minh Quan DNUM_CFZBCZCACC 16:38

(Baonghean.vn) - Faced with the reality of having their labor contracts terminated or postponed, the lives of many workers and laborers in Nghe An, which were already difficult, have become even more difficult.

Thousands of workers lost their jobs

One morning in early December, although it was not yet working hours, at the Nghe An Employment Service Center, there were many workers waiting to have their unemployment insurance benefits processed. Mr. Le Van Manh, from Nghi Xa Commune (Nghi Loc), a former worker at Tan Viet Trung Company Limited, said that in the past, both of them worked in the South, but in recent years, many companies have opened in their hometown, so they decided to return to their hometown to apply for a job at a company near their home, convenient for taking care of their children.

“Since the beginning of the year, the company has had difficulty finding orders, so it has implemented a plan to reduce working hours, let workers take turns off work, and even had to terminate labor contracts. This time, the company terminated labor contracts with more than 100 people, including me. With Tet approaching and losing our jobs, we don’t know how to cope,” Manh shared.

Unemployed workers register for unemployment insurance at the Nghe An Provincial Employment Service Center. Photo: Minh Quan

Also coming to Nghe An Employment Service Center to process unemployment insurance benefits, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Hien in Hung Yen Nam commune (Hung Nguyen) said that she has worked at Matrix Vinh Company Limited for more than 10 years.

“Since the end of October, due to lack of orders, the company has had to temporarily suspend operations and terminate contracts with more than 400 workers. Since then, I have been struggling to find work everywhere but have not found a suitable position. My husband is also a freelancer, with an unstable income, making family life difficult,” Ms. Hien shared.

According to the report of Nghe An Employment Service Center, from January 1, 2022 to December 23, 2022, the Center received unemployment insurance registration applications from 20,310 cases, an increase of 28.52% compared to 2021, of which approximately 9,000 were workers working in enterprises in the province.

According to the staff of the Center's Unemployment Insurance Department, from now until Lunar New Year, the number of people applying for unemployment insurance benefits at the unit has not stopped, and is expected to increase to thousands of people.

According to a survey by the Provincial Federation of Labor at the end of November 2022, 25 enterprises in the area, mainly in the garment and footwear industries, were affected. Year-end orders of these enterprises were cut by major markets such as the US, Europe, and Japan. The number of employees with reduced working hours was 19,942, the number of employees with terminated contracts was 1,797, and the number of employees with suspended contracts was 452.

Due to lack of orders, ABC International Group Joint Stock Company - Nghe An branch (located in Thanh Tien commune, Thanh Chuong district) had to cut hundreds of workers. Photo: CSCC

There are 5 enterprises that have reduced 100 employees or more in the past month, with a total reduction of 1,257 employees, 85% of whom are unskilled workers.

Specifically, Matrix Vinh Company Limited reduced 435 employees (out of a total of 466 employees in the whole company); ABC International Group Joint Stock Company - Nghe An branch reduced 371 employees; Merry & Luxshare Company Limited reduced 250 employees; Tan Viet Trung Company Limited reduced 101 employees and Thegioigo Joint Stock Company reduced 100 employees. According to the investigation, after the termination of labor contracts, many workers were owed wages by the company and had not been paid compensation for breach of contract, making life increasingly difficult.

Support solutions

Faced with the reality that many workers in the province lost their jobs at the end of the year, authorities have also stepped in to support workers.

Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan - Director of the Provincial Employment Service Center said: "According to the direction of the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the Center regularly coordinates with localities to grasp information about the situation of enterprises and the unemployment situation of workers to have timely support plans. The Center also collects and builds a database of unemployed workers to connect with other enterprises that need to recruit, creating more job opportunities for workers.

Workers register to find jobs at the Nghe An Provincial Employment Service Center. Photo: Minh Quan

In addition, to support unemployed workers to receive unemployment insurance benefits, in the last months of this year, the Center has implemented a number of solutions such as: Applying information technology to build an online application submission system; looking up results, receiving applications sent by post, email...

To help unemployed workers quickly find jobs and return to the labor market, the Center has used many forms of counseling suitable for workers such as: Direct counseling; online counseling via the Internet, email, through seminars, conferences... and mobile job fairs in districts, communes and towns in the province.

Mr. Tran Quoc Tuan - Director of Nghe An Provincial Employment Service Center

On the side of the Trade Union organization, Mr. Nguyen Chi Cong - Vice Chairman of the Provincial Labor Federation said: "The Provincial Labor Federation has also promptly taken action, directing trade unions at all levels to grasp the production, business, orders and labor usage situation of enterprises to have timely support measures; participate in dialogue and negotiation with employers to develop plans to maintain as many jobs as possible for workers, minimizing the termination and suspension of labor contracts.

For enterprises that are forced to terminate labor contracts, the grassroots trade union organization, with the support of the higher-level trade union, will participate in giving opinions on the enterprise's labor use plan, ensuring payment of unemployment or severance benefits in accordance with the law and the enterprise's regulations and the signed collective labor agreement.

In addition, to support unemployed workers in finding new jobs, the Provincial Federation of Labor will continue to post recruitment information of enterprises on the Fanpage of Nghe An Trade Union and the Electronic Information page of the Provincial Federation of Labor.

In the immediate future, the Provincial Federation of Labor has planned to support workers during Tet, accordingly, workers who have lost their jobs or had their labor contracts postponed will receive a minimum support of VND500,000/person.

In Official Dispatch No. 1566-CV/TU on organizing the Year of the Cat, the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee also requested Party committees at all levels, Party organizations, authorities, the Fatherland Front, socio-political organizations, agencies and units in the province to thoroughly grasp and seriously implement the directive documents of the Secretariat, the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee on organizing the 2023 Lunar New Year.

In particular, it is important to focus on implementing social security policies well, taking care of people's material and spiritual lives, ensuring that every household and every person has the conditions to enjoy Spring and celebrate Tet. Pay attention to taking care of policy families, people in difficult circumstances, poor households, people in localities affected by natural disasters, epidemics, remote areas, border areas, islands, ethnic minority areas and mountainous areas; workers and laborers working in economic zones, industrial parks, especially those who have lost their jobs.

Minh Quan