VIETNAM’S HIRING OUTLOOK OPTIMISTIC IN Q2

A young worker assembles car bodies at an auto manufacturing factory – PHOTO: LE HOANG

HCMC – Employers in Vietnam report an optimistic hiring outlook for the second quarter of 2026, with a net employment outlook (NEO) at 47% in the country’s inaugural edition of the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey.

The survey, conducted between January 1 and February 3, gathered responses from more than 41,700 employers worldwide, including 260 companies in Vietnam.

Among the 260 employers surveyed in Vietnam, 63% expect to expand their workforce in Q2/2026, 21% plan to maintain current staffing levels, and 16% anticipate a decrease in headcount.

Nguyen Thu Trang, head of Manpower at Manpower Vietnam, said hiring plans reflect both expansion and efficiency efforts across companies.

“Organizations are adding new roles to support growth while also reshaping parts of their workforce as emerging technologies streamline operations. Despite these simultaneous shifts, overall sentiment about the coming months remains positive,” she added.

Company growth was cited by 52% of employers as the main reason for increasing staff, a trend that is even stronger in northern Vietnam, where 61% linked hiring plans to expansion.

Hiring demand is strong in Vietnam, with employers in seven of nine sectors planning to increase staffing levels in the second quarter.

The construction and real estate sector leads the market with an NEO of 64%, surpassing the sector’s global outlook by 30 percentage points. Within the sector, 75% of companies expect to increase headcount, reflecting rising demand for skilled talent as Vietnam accelerates major infrastructure projects, urban planning initiatives, and new city developments in the coming years.

The survey also highlighted the rapid integration of artificial intelligence into workforce management. About 87% of employers in Vietnam said they already use artificial intelligence in hiring, onboarding, or employee training.

Only 5% of companies reported no return on investment from artificial intelligence, compared with 11% in the Asia Pacific and Middle East region and 16% globally, highlighting Vietnam’s practical and results‑driven approach to AI deployment.

Source: The Saigon Times