It is projected that businesses across 7 out of 9 industries will increase hiring in the quarter, with the construction and real estate sector emerging as the most competitive. Business expansion remains the primary driver behind rising recruitment demand, while planned hiring reductions mainly stem from process optimization and increased automation, leading to the downsizing of certain roles.
Notably, 87% of companies are already applying AI in recruitment, onboarding, and employee training, with recruitment delivering the highest reported return on investment at 22%.
This also marks the first quarter in which Vietnamese companies participated in ManpowerGroup’s Employment Outlook Survey. The results significantly exceeded global averages, including those across the Asia-Pacific and Middle East (APME) region.
Conducted from January 1 to February 3, 2026, ManpowerGroup’s latest employment outlook survey collected responses from more than 41,700 businesses across 42 countries and territories. In Vietnam, among 260 surveyed companies, 63% expected to increase hiring in Q2, 21% planned to maintain their current workforce size, and 16% anticipated reducing recruitment.
According to Ms. Nguyen Thu Trang, Brand Director of Manpower in Vietnam, the country’s hiring outlook currently reflects a dual-track picture: businesses are simultaneously pursuing expansion goals while improving operational efficiency.
As a result, many new roles are being created to support growth, while in other organizations, workforce restructuring is taking place as technology plays an increasingly important role in operational optimization. “Although these two trends are occurring simultaneously, overall job market sentiment for the coming months remains highly positive,” Ms. Trang commented.
A total of 52% of businesses in Vietnam stated that expansion plans are the main reason for increasing recruitment, reflecting a global trend in which business growth continues to be the key driver of talent demand. This factor is particularly evident among businesses in northern Vietnam, highlighting strong hiring pressure driven by growth in the region.
Meanwhile, the primary reason for planned recruitment reductions is organizational streamlining aimed at improving processes and accelerating automation adoption, thereby reducing demand for certain positions. This trend is most visible among large enterprises with more than 1,000 employees, where workforce changes are often associated with broader restructuring strategies rather than short-term fluctuations.
Vietnam also recorded strong hiring demand in Q2/2026, with businesses in 7 out of 9 industries indicating plans to increase recruitment. The construction and real estate sector posted a Net Employment Outlook of 64% — 30 percentage points higher than the global industry average. In fact, 75% of companies in this sector in Vietnam plan to hire additional staff within the next three months. This figure reflects substantial workforce demand as Vietnam accelerates key infrastructure projects, urban planning initiatives, and the development of new cities in the coming years.
In the trade and logistics sector specifically, 42% of businesses plan to increase hiring, while another 42% expect to reduce recruitment, bringing the Net Employment Outlook for the sector to 0%.
Beyond recruitment plans, the survey also explored the level of artificial intelligence adoption in HR strategies across different countries. The findings show that AI is being widely implemented in Vietnam and has become a valuable tool for businesses. Only 5% of companies reported no investment value generated from AI — far lower than both the APME regional and global averages. Additionally, 87% of businesses in Vietnam have already adopted AI in recruitment, onboarding, or employee training.
Notably, 20% of businesses stated that AI fully met their expectations, double the average rate across the APME region and significantly above the global average. Companies in southern Vietnam, in particular, highly value the effectiveness of AI in recruitment activities. However, AI adoption still faces several challenges, including concerns over privacy and legal compliance, a shortage of AI-related workforce skills, and insufficient internal training programs.
Ms. Trang emphasized that the data indicates AI is reshaping numerous job roles in Vietnam, directly supporting ideation, creativity, and technical expertise. Strengthening digital skills, addressing data security challenges, and maintaining continuous training will help both organizations and employees maximize the value of AI and confidently move forward into the future.
