Expanding protection opportunities for workers
Mr. Bui Van Tinh (35 years old), a worker at a seafood enterprise in Tra Noc Industrial Park (Can Tho City), said that he had just completed procedures to enjoy unemployment insurance after being laid off.
Mr. Tinh shared that after many years of working, he decided to return to his hometown in Dong Nai because his mother was old and weak, and there was no one to take care of her. The decision to quit his job caused many difficulties for his family's life, especially when he was the main breadwinner. Immediately after that, he went to the Employment Service Center to apply for unemployment benefits, and at the same time looked for new job opportunities.
The unemployment benefit of about 3 million VND/month helps me cover expenses during the time I have not found a job" - Mr. Tinh said and said that the current procedures are quite convenient, can be registered directly or online, the resolution time is fast, helping workers soon access support policies.
Mr. Tran Tuan Tu - Head of the Unemployment Insurance Department, Department of Employment (Ministry of Home Affairs), shared that the 2025 Employment Law, effective from January 1, 2026, has basically overcome the limitations of the 2013 Employment Law.
One of the notable new points is the expansion of the subjects participating in unemployment insurance. Previously, the 2013 Employment Law only stipulated mandatory for employees with contracts of 3 months or more. However, according to the new regulations, employees working under contracts of 1 month or more are eligible to participate, even if the contract has a different name but shows paid labor relations and is subject to management.
The law also adds many new groups of subjects such as business managers, cooperatives, representatives of state capital... who receive salaries, thereby increasing coverage and ensuring benefits for more groups of workers.
Supporting workers to return to work soon
According to Mr. Tu, the unemployment insurance policy has been oriented towards being more proactive.
Unemployment benefits are just temporary financial support for a certain period of time, helping workers stabilize their lives while looking for new jobs. More importantly, it is supporting them to return to the labor market," he said.
Assessing these changes, Mr. Le Quang Trung - former Deputy Director in charge of the Department of Employment (Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, now the Ministry of Home Affairs) said that the 2025 Employment Law has been comprehensively amended, from employment policies to labor market information and unemployment insurance.
The Law has clearly affirmed the role of employment and unemployment insurance in the economy, contributing to supporting the labor market and showing the State's concern for workers" - Mr. Trung emphasized.
However, according to experts, for policies to be truly effective, the implementation stage plays a decisive role. Mr. Tran Tuan Tu said that it is necessary to ensure a clear institution, transparent processes, and simple procedures for workers to easily access.
Workers also need to change their perceptions, not completely rely on allowances. "Unemployment insurance is a short-term policy, the ultimate goal is still to help workers return to the market" - Mr. Tran Tuan Tu said.
In the context of a rapidly changing labor market, Mr. Le Quang Trung emphasized the role of forecasting. Forecasting labor demand in the short, medium and long term will help orient training, improve appropriate skills, and reduce the risk of unemployment.
