Speaking at a press conference held on Thursday, deputy director of the department Nguyen Van Lam said that based on data from their survey of 1,078 businesses operating with over 221,700 workers in the city, the highest Tet bonus reported so far was more than VND756 million VND (USD31,500) offered by a foreign-invested enterprise, and the lowest, more than VND4.80 million (USD200).
"Many enterprises participating in the survey said their business faced difficulties due to fewer orders and more difficulties in collecting debts, which forced them to downsize their production and lay off workers," the official said. "However, they are still trying to offer Tet bonuses together with some other support including free train and bus tickets and gifts for their employees during Tet."
Pham Chi Tam, deputy chairman of the HCM City Labour Federation, said many enterprises with a large number of employees have increased Tet bonuses by 10-20 per cent compared to last year’s figures.
However, many enterprises have yet to announce their plans for Tet bonus payments, meaning many employees might spend the Tet holiday without any bonus, Tam said.
At least 155 enterprises have suffered a drop in orders and more than 50,100 workers had to reduce their working hours and pay as a result, according to the city’s Labour Federation.
The southern economic hub is home to nearly 249,000 enterprises, providing employment for over 2.80 million people.
The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs asked localities nationwide to report to the ministry by December 25 plans for employees regarding Tet bonuses.