HCMC workers have high demand to switch jobs: report

According to the survey conducted among 1,300 workers in the city from January to June, 61 percent of workers said they want to do a different job.

Specifically, 26 percent said they want to take a job that allows them to work online from home, 23 percent want to work as salespeople/customer service staff/receptionists, 23 percent want to work in the hospitality sector, 16 percent want to work as a driver/deliveryperson while the rest want to take jobs as security guards, office workers or technicians.

According to the survey released Wednesday, the demand to choose another job remains high even when the salary for factory workers in the city has increased "sharply" during the six-month period.

The average salary level for workers in HCMC currently stands at VND9.8 million ($420) per month compared to VND9.4 million and VND9.2 million in the two industrial hubs of Binh Duong and Dong Nai that border the city.

Data from the General Statistics Office (GSO) said workers in HCMC earned an average VND8.9 million per month compared to VND8.6 million in Binh Duong and VND8.5 million in Dong Nai in the first quarter this year.

As analyzed by vieclamtot (good jobs), operated by HCMC-based Cho Tot Co. Ltd under the umbrella of Singapore online marketplace Carousell, companies in HCMC have raised the salary for workers due to a workforce shortage caused by the pandemic.

During the latest Covid-19 outbreak last year, more than 500,000 factory workers had left HCMC for their hometowns, GSO data shows.

In most cases, returnees said strict social distancing measures in the city had caused them to lose their jobs and be stuck in small rented rooms.

The GSO also predicted that in 2022, companies across the country would need to recruit 1.3 million new employees, up 18 percent from 2021. Most operate in textile-garment, electronic assembly, and wood processing sectors.