Increase unemployment insurance benefits from January 1, 2026

The 2025 Employment Law adds many benefits and expands the subjects participating in unemployment insurance from January 1, 2026.

Workers complete procedures related to unemployment insurance at the Hanoi Employment Service Center - Photo: HA QUAN

Vietnam Social Security said the 2025 Employment Law, effective from January 1, 2026, has many changes such as expanding the scope of participation and increasing the benefits of unemployment insurance policies.

Higher unemployment benefits

Compared to the 2013 Employment Law, the new law adds many groups of workers required to participate in unemployment insurance, including workers working under contracts of 1 month or more, and salaried management positions such as directors, general directors, members of the board of directors, controllers, etc.

Part-time workers have monthly salaries equal to or higher than the lowest salary used as the basis for social insurance contributions.

Currently, the lowest level is equal to the reference level (basic salary before abolishment), which is 2.34 million VND/month.

Expanding the number of participants helps increase social security coverage, protecting short-term workers, part-time workers, freelancers, etc. who often face the risk of job loss and reduced income.

The highlight of the law is reducing the waiting time for unemployment benefits from 15 days to 10 working days.

The time to receive unemployment benefits is also 5 working days earlier (starting on the 11th working day from the date of submission of complete documents).

The maximum unemployment benefit level is raised to 5 times the regional minimum wage, instead of being limited to the basic salary as before.

These regulations help workers receive subsidies to cover their living expenses, return to the labor market early and raise awareness of law compliance. Unemployed people are also supported with food expenses while training and improving their vocational skills.

Many people come to the Hanoi Employment Service Center to get advice and register for free vocational training - Photo: HA QUAN

Solutions to limit unemployment

For businesses, the 2025 Employment Law has removed the requirement to prove that there is insufficient funding for training and improving skills for employees or that they are facing difficulties due to economic downturn or have to change their production and business structure and technology due to force majeure.

Instead, employers only need to meet requirements such as changes in structure, technology, being affected by natural disasters, epidemics, war or relocation, narrowing down production and business locations according to decisions of competent authorities. The new regulations help businesses be flexible in retaining workers, limiting unemployment...

Another important change is that the Government is given the authority to reduce unemployment insurance contributions in the event of a crisis, economic recession, natural disaster, fire, war or dangerous epidemic, based on reality and the balance of the Unemployment Insurance Fund.

Social insurance experts assess that the new regulations help employees and employers receive timely support and sharing, overcome difficulties and promote the significance of unemployment insurance.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs' second-quarter 2025 labor market bulletin, the country has 53.1 million people participating in the labor force, an increase of nearly 170,000 people compared to the previous quarter. However, the number of unemployed people increased to 1.06 million people, 25,000 people higher than the previous quarter and an increase of about 13,300 people compared to the same period in 2024.

Notably, the youth unemployment rate also increased by 0.26%, a sign that many young people are still struggling to find work amid economic turmoil.

The number of people filing for unemployment benefits in the second quarter of 2025 exceeded 284,000, an increase of over 139,000 compared to the first quarter. However, this figure is still about 51,000 lower than the same period last year.

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HA QUAN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tang-quyen-loi-bao-hiem-that-nghiep-tu-1-1-2026-20251016153521696.htm