Bright Spots Across Several Industries

According to the report, although overall job growth has not yet experienced a major breakthrough, the divergence between industries is becoming increasingly evident. Several sectors recorded impressive recruitment growth, most notably the Architecture & Interior Design sector, which saw a remarkable increase of 35.36%. In addition, Marketing & Communications continued to stand out as one of the few sectors maintaining stable growth, recording a 9.32% increase for three consecutive years.

Recruitment Trends Clearly Shifting

A survey of 1,213 businesses revealed that hiring trends are shifting significantly toward experienced candidates. Specifically, 75.5% of recruitment demand focused on professionals with 1–3 years of experience in order to shorten training time and ensure quicker adaptation to the workplace.

In contrast, job opportunities for fresh graduates declined by 12.96%, particularly in sectors such as Administration & Human Resources (down 53.18%), Accounting (down 36.22%), and Finance & Banking (down 34.52%). This marks the second consecutive year in which young workers have faced increasing challenges as businesses continue prioritizing candidates with practical experience.

The market’s recovery momentum is also reflected in the sharp decline in workforce reductions, with the percentage of companies cutting staff dropping from nearly 70% in 2024 to just 35.12% in 2025. However, the main reasons behind layoffs remain largely internal. Specifically:

• 50.94% of employers stated that employees failed to meet competency requirements

• 42.25% cited organizational restructuring

• 38.5% attributed reductions to declining business performance

Average Income Continues to Improve

Regarding salaries, the 2025 Salary Report released by Joboko recorded slight wage increases across most industries. Sectors including IT & Software, Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, Mechatronics, Sales & Business Development, and Marketing & Communications remained among the industries with the highest median salaries in the market.

Outlook for 2026

Looking ahead to 2026, Joboko reported that 62.9% of businesses plan to increase recruitment demand. The construction, manufacturing, and legal sectors are expected to maintain strong growth momentum, while administration & HR, finance & banking, and IT are likely to recruit more cautiously due to the impact of artificial intelligence and global trade fluctuations.

Overall, Vietnam’s labor market in 2026 is expected to create more opportunities, while simultaneously placing higher demands on candidates in terms of quality, skills, and adaptability.

(Source: VnExpress)