3 years ago, Mr. Dang Xuan Son (character's name has been changed), a worker at Thang Long Industrial Park (Dong Anh district, Hanoi) quit his job. After nearly 10 years of paying unemployment insurance, he received unemployment benefits. Each month, he receives more than 4 million VND in unemployment benefits. This amount of money helps him to have less hardship during his leave.
He used this money to pay for the rent (more than 1 million VND/month) and the family's food during the time without a job. "I hope to not limit the time to receive unemployment benefits. Instead, the period of unemployment benefits for employees should correspond to the number of months of unemployment insurance contributions; at the same time, increase the unemployment benefit level to reduce difficulties for employees" - Mr. Son proposed.
Clause 2, Article 46 of the draft Law on Employment stipulates: The period of unemployment benefits is calculated based on the number of months of unemployment insurance payment, for every payment of 12 months to 36 months, the unemployment benefit will be received for 3 months, then for every additional payment of 12 months, the unemployment benefit will be received for 1 month but not exceeding 12 months.
Regarding this issue, Mr. Vu Hong Quang - Deputy Head of the Department of Legal Policy and Labor Relations (Vietnam General Confederation of Labor) proposed to study and not limit the maximum period of unemployment benefits. The reason for the proposal is to ensure benefits commensurate with the contribution level and the period of unemployment insurance payment of employees; support employees during difficult periods when they have not found a job, especially for the elderly or in specific occupations. In addition, according to Mr. Quang, this proposal also helps to increase the sustainability and attractiveness of unemployment insurance policies, encouraging workers to participate long-term.
The current Unemployment Insurance Fund is considered stable and has room to better support employees, especially when only a small part of employees are eligible for long-term unemployment benefits. Calculating the period of benefits based on the number of months of unemployment insurance contributions is reasonable, transparent, easy to apply and does not create additional burdens on the fund, reducing financial pressure for employees who have lost their jobs for a long time, especially those who are not eligible for pensions and contributing to social stability, supporting sustainable reintegration into the labor market" - Mr. Vu Hong Quang said.
Mr. Vu Hong Quang also proposed raising the unemployment benefit level, contributing to supporting the lives of workers when facing employment risks and commented that the unemployment benefit level is an issue that receives great attention from union members and workers.
Through the synthesis of voters' recommendations and opinions from trade unions, union members, and workers at all levels, most units submitting reports have opinions on raising the unemployment benefit level from 60% to 75% to the maximum pension level to create conditions to support workers to have a minimum living standard when they lose their jobs, become unemployed, and limit one-time social insurance withdrawals, said Mr. Vu Hong Quang.
