According to records, the majority of workers who have and have not received unemployment benefits agree and support the proposal.
Ms. Pham Thi Huong (41 years old, Nam Dinh) - an employee at a garment company - shared that the monthly unemployment benefit is equal to 60% of the average monthly salary, which is difficult to meet the living expenses if she is unemployed.
The female employee said that the 60% benefit is only suitable for the prices of goods before 2023. In the past two years, almost all daily essentials have increased, causing her salary to gradually decrease.
“When unemployed, costs are the thing that workers worry about the most. A small increase in each item can cause the total cost to increase by millions of VND/month. Without an increase in unemployment benefits, workers will have more difficulties and mental pressure,” said Ms. Huong.
Ms. Huong added that although she has been working and paying social insurance for many years, the contribution rate is not significantly higher than the regional minimum wage. If she receives unemployment benefits at the current rate of 60%, the female employee will have to tighten all spending: “If I am unemployed now, I will only receive 2.5 million VND/month. This amount is only enough for me to eat and pay for electricity, water, garbage, and lighting, and cannot cover other expenses for the family.”
Sharing more, the female employee said that those who have families also have to worry about the expenses for many other people. According to Ms. Huong, increasing to 75% is completely appropriate and there should be a roadmap to increase to 100% according to the actual situation.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Nhung (30 years old) - a leather shoe worker in Thai Binh - said that increasing unemployment benefits must be implemented early to compensate for inflation.
“In April 2024, I received unemployment benefits of 2.3 million VND/month. That was a very difficult time. Everything increased while I only had more than 2 million VND, making it difficult for me to spend,” said Ms. Nhung.
Ms. Nhung's husband works as a bricklayer, earning about 8 million VND a month. With 2.3 million VND in hand when receiving unemployment benefits, it is only enough to cover daily food expenses for a family of 3. Her husband had to ask for an advance salary to pay for his children's school fees as well as other expenses.
Because of the low unemployment benefits, Ms. Nhung only received 1 month of benefits before going back to work, even though her child was still young. With the benefit of 2.3 million VND, Ms. Nhung felt that she could not help her husband much and could not spend comfortably.
According to female workers, the unemployment benefit of 60% based on the average of the last 6 months of insurance contributions is too low. This benefit level only helps maintain the daily life of workers but cannot be used for other things such as paying rent or participating in skill improvement courses.
Ms. Nhung agrees with the proposal to increase unemployment benefits to 75%. According to the female worker, this level of benefits will help workers feel secure about living expenses when they lose their jobs. At the same time, they will have more time to learn or improve their skills to find a new, more suitable job.
