On March 9, in an exchange with Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Le Quang Trung - former Deputy Director in charge of the Department of Employment said that the labor market in the second quarter of 2026 is forecast to continue the positive recovery momentum from the beginning of the year, with strong recruitment demand in the manufacturing - processing, commercial and service industries.
The total number of employed workers is expected to increase, highly skilled workers are sought after, and the trend of skills upgrading (AI, automation) becomes a key factor," Mr. Trung said.
Mr. Trung also predicted the outstanding characteristics of the labor market in the second quarter of 2026:
Employment growth: Continuing the upward trend of 300,000 employed workers from the first quarter of 2026, recruitment demand continues to expand, especially in the fields of food production and processing, transportation, and motor vehicles.
Demand for highly skilled labor: Businesses are increasing the recruitment of quality personnel, including university, college and intermediate level technical workers.
Skill upgrading" trend: Workers actively re-learn, short-term learning to adapt to automation and AI.
Stable labor after Tet: The rate of workers returning to work in industrial parks and export processing zones (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City...) is forecast to be high (reaching 95% by the end of February 2026), limiting job hopping and labor shortages after Tet.
4 shaping trends: Flexible personnel, quick retraining, changing labor standards and strengthening internal training.
In general, Q2/2026 is a favorable time for skilled workers and businesses expanding production," Mr. Trung emphasized.
