As an inevitable result of lockdown measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, millions of people around the world, including Vietnamese, have lost their jobs.
During March and April, many local Vietnamese suffered job losses and salary cuts as their companies lost revenue due to mandatory social distancing measures. Out of the many industries affected, the F&B and tourism sector took the hardest hits.
However, things are seemingly looking up after the government lifted the social distancing rules and allowed businesses to reopen, with local businesses ramping up recruitment now.
As employees return to work after a long period of working from home, and university students resume their lessons, demand for workers across different service sectors has picked up.
From F&B to accommodation, and transportation to banking, and shopping, businesses in these sectors have recently posted many job listings in Facebook recruitment groups and websites to keep up with the need for manpower.
Vietnamwork, a large job site, displays numerous postings by Techcombank for bank-related positions.
Image credit: Vietnamworks
An employee of an education centre is seen posting a job listing looking for full-time English teachers in Ho Chi Minh City
Image credit: Jobs in Ho Chi Minh City
Night clubs and bars continue to be suspended from opening
Image credit: Chill Skybar
A delay in reopening has caused many businesses to lose money, even to the point of shutting down their businesses permanently.
Buddha Bar & Grill in Thao Dien has been shut down, and Buddha Bar was even vandalized after 13 COVID-19 cases were traced to the venue
Image credit: Lưu Chấn Huy
One of the main causes for stricter measures aimed at night entertainment hubs originates from the case of Buddha Bar & Grill, a COVID-19 cluster in District 2, to which 13 infected cases were linked after over 100 people attended a St. Patrick’s Day party on 14th March.
Real estate agencies, though still allowed to operate, are struggling to cut losses. Because people are less likely to buy new or resale homes now, real estate sales have fallen.
Meanwhile, it’s unlikely that the local housing market will see any new housing up for sale in the foreseeable future. Even if there is any, few will buy these properties as a majority of new housing project buyers are foreigners, who are still banned from entering the country.
Revenues for real estate agencies, therefore, have been slashed drastically, driving many employers to fire staff.
Out of the many job listings flooding all job-seeking platforms, the most notable must be Apple.
From 2019 to date, Apple has been continuously seeking to fill positions in Saigon and in Hanoi, with roles running the gamut from technical staff to administrative jobs to sales-related positions.
Image credit: Jobs at Apple
Jobhunters can browse its updated postings in the career section of its website, or on job listing websites such as Jobstreet.
Image credit: Jobstreet
Pegatron Corp, a partner of Apple, is also planning to set up its production plant in Vietnam, according to Bloomberg. Meanwhile, GoerTek, the Apple’s supplier of Airpods, wireless earphones, has shifted its operations to Vietnam since last year, according to Nikkei.
After a series of COVID-19-related catastrophes which plagues the globe, it’s no surprise that more tech manufacturers are choosing to work with Vietnam for its ability to keep the pandemic contained.
Image credit: Apple
The fact that Apple is planning its expansion into Vietnam by setting up factories and retail stores is good news for both our workers looking for new jobs, as well as fans of Apple products, who will be able to buy them directly from Apple in future.
To restart economic activity in Vietnam since the containment of the COVID-19 outbreak, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc announced an ambitious growth target of 5% for 2020 in the latest government conference on 5th May.
This projection is considered quite ambitious, given the 2.7% projected growth provided by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
During the conference, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc spoke about post-pandemic economic plans, measures for preventing community transmission of COVID-19, and education, said VGP News.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc spoke during the conference
Image credit: VGP News
According to the Prime Minister, there are 5 goals that the country needs to achieve in order to reach its growth target.
These goals include accelerating exporting activities, boosting domestic consumption, enhancing public and private investments, and drawing in foreign direct investments .
Because of COVID-19 and social distancing measures, the study and examination schedules of Vietnamese students have been severely affected. In response to the issue, many universities, as encouraged by the Ministry of Education, decided to use students’ high school examination results as well as certificates such as IELTS, SAT, and A-Levels, to evaluate university applicants.
To date, Vietnam has been successful in containing COVID-19 outbreak and therefore resuming normality in the country. Students can return to school, and employees can go back to work and earn stable income.
However, past achievements do not guarantee future success.
Let’s not forget that there is no known treatment developed for COVID-19 yet and there is still a risk of community transmission. So let’s continue to take extra precautions to protect ourselves and the public, by practicing safe distancing and following hygiene measures as instructed by the government.
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Cover image credit: The Smart Local Vietnam
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