The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) is having a profound impact on the labour market, higher education, and students’ choices of academic disciplines and careers.

Entering 2026, Viet Nam’s labour market is evolving amid a clearly recovering economy, an accelerating private sector, expanding FDI inflows, and the deepening spread of digital transformation. Employment opportunities are increasing, yet this also places mounting pressure on workforce quality within a newly restructured economic landscape.

Contrary to concerns about a post-Tet “job-hopping wave”, the labour market in early 2026 has recorded clear signs of stability. As living costs rise and job opportunities become more competitive, many workers, particularly young people, have chosen to remain in their current positions rather than risk seeking new opportunities.

A report by the National Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance on the population, labour and employment situation in the fourth quarter and in 2025 shows that Viet Nam continues to possess a large labour force, but the effectiveness of exploiting this resource remains limited.

2025 draws to a close with the labour market on a recovery trajectory. Yet the quality of the workforce remains low compared with many countries in the region, with supply–demand imbalances occurring frequently, requiring comprehensive solutions for more sustainable development in 2026.

The Ha Noi Employment Service Centre has just conducted a survey and collected information on more than 1,000 vacant jobs from 378 businesses, thereby showing that recruitment needs have some positive changes for the last months of the year in the area.

Viet Nam’s labour market in the first half of 2025 has shown several encouraging signs, according to the General Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance.