From January 1, 2026, the 2025 Law on Employment will officially take effect with many important adjustments related to the unemployment insurance regime. These changes directly affect the rights of employees as well as the responsibilities of employers.
Unified unemployment benefit ceiling
According to Clause 1, Article 39 of the 2025 Law on Employment, the monthly unemployment benefit is equal to 60% of the average monthly salary for unemployment insurance contributions of the last 6 months before the termination of the labor contract, but not exceeding 5 times the regional minimum monthly salary announced by the Government at the time of the final unemployment insurance payment.
Meanwhile, the 2013 Law on Employment stipulates different ceilings between the state sector and the enterprise sector, based on the basic salary or regional minimum wage. Unifying a ceiling as a new regulation helps eliminate discrimination between regions, ensuring more fairness in unemployment benefits.
Shorten waiting time for benefits
The new law continues to maintain the same method of calculating the period of allowance according to the number of months of unemployment insurance contributions, receiving 3 months of allowance for every 12-36 months, then receiving an additional month for every 12 months, not exceeding 12 months.
A notable change is that the start of unemployment benefits is shortened. According to the new regulations, employees will receive benefits from the 11th working day from the date of submitting a complete application, instead of the previous 16th day.
Thus, waiting time is reduced from 15 days to 10 days, helping workers soon access financial support during difficult times.
Additional food allowances when participating in vocational training
Clause 4, Article 37 of the 2025 Law on Employment has added benefits for employees participating in training and improving their professional skills. Accordingly, in addition to tuition fees, workers are also supported with food expenses during the time participating in the course.
This is a new humane point, contributing to reducing the burden of living expenses, creating conditions for workers to feel secure in learning a trade, improving skills to soon return to the labor market.
Strengthening conditions to support businesses in training and retaining workers
The 2025 Law on Employment also expands the conditions for employers to receive funding for training, fostering, and improving vocational skills for employees in cases affected by employment such as: changes in structure, technology; natural disasters, epidemics; relocation or reduction of production according to the decision of competent authorities...
Notably, the new law removes the condition that businesses must not have enough funding to receive support as in the old regulations. At the same time, difficult cases are regulated more specifically and clearly. This helps businesses be more proactive in training workers, limiting the situation of massive layoffs.
Tightening conditions for not receiving unemployment benefits
Another important change is tightening the scope of subjects who are not entitled to unemployment benefits. According to the new regulations, employees who quit when they are eligible for pension will not receive unemployment benefits.
Meanwhile, current law only excludes cases of pension benefits. The new regulation is considered to be stricter, avoiding the situation of both reaching retirement age and continuing to receive unemployment benefits.
