This is the viewpoint of Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan Huong - former Director of the Institute of Social Labor Sciences.
More beneficial for workers
According to Ms. Lan Huong, unemployment insurance (UI) is one of the important policies in the social security system, providing financial support for employees who have unfortunately lost their jobs. From January 1, 2026, the unemployment insurance policy will have many changes compared to the current one, which is more beneficial to employees.
Regarding the subjects participating in unemployment insurance, based on Clause 1, Article 31 of the 2025 Law on Employment, there are 4 groups of workers subject to unemployment insurance. In particular, there is a new group of workers including: People working under indefinite-term labor contracts, labor contracts with a term of 1 month or more, even if the employee and the employer agree with another name but have content showing that the job has salary, salary and the management, operation and supervision of one party; people working part-time but with income ≥ the minimum wage for social insurance contributions; business managers, inspectors, board members, directors... if they receive salary; members of cooperatives, cooperative unions who receive salary.
This is a group of workers with a majority in the informal sector, Ms. Lan Huong emphasized.
According to Ms. Lan Huong, the unemployment insurance policy demonstrates the State's commitment to protecting the rights of workers, especially the most vulnerable group - those without labor contracts, who do not have full access to social security policies.
Second, expanding the coverage of unemployment insurance not only helps workers have a support when they lose their jobs but also motivates them to participate in the formal sector, thereby contributing to improving the quality of the labor market, increasing productivity and promoting sustainable economic growth.
Finally, this is also a way to narrow the unequal gap in access to social services, towards a more fair society, where all workers no matter where they work have the right to protection and support when facing difficulties.
Challenges
Ms. Lan Huong believes that expanding unemployment insurance to informal labor groups is a humane goal but also comes with many complex challenges.
First of all, there is a lack of legal basis and clear identification. Informal workers often do not have labor contracts and are not registered with State management agencies. Determining who is an employee and who is an employer in informal relationships is very vague, making it difficult to collect fees and pay unemployment insurance.
"Another difficulty is collecting fees and maintaining the fund. Informal workers with unstable incomes make it difficult to periodically contribute to the unemployment insurance fund. If the State supports a part, it is necessary to carefully calculate the budget and allocation mechanism to avoid causing long-term financial pressure," Ms. Lan Huong analyzed.
Ms. Huong also pointed out the lack of awareness and trust from workers. Currently, many workers do not clearly understand the benefits of participating in unemployment insurance or do not believe in the effectiveness of the policy; the mentality of "not necessary" or "not seeing immediate benefits" causes the participation rate to be low, even with support policies.
The management and supervision system is not strong enough. Monitoring, inspecting and handling violations in the informal sector is almost impossible to thoroughly implement; investment in technology, digital data and inter-sectoral coordination mechanisms is needed for effective management.
To expand unemployment insurance, Ms. Huong proposed synchronous, flexible and highly feasible solutions: Completing the legal framework; applying digital technology to manage and collect fees; communication and raising awareness; designing flexible payment levels and support from the State; piloting local models; integrating unemployment insurance into other social security programs.
