Anphabe Company believes that the Vietnamese labor market in 2026 is witnessing a "major overhaul" of cohesive thinking.
Previously, the results of the "Best Place to Work in Vietnam 2025" survey conducted by Anphabe showed that workers' tolerance thresholds are gradually decreasing, while expectations for growth are reaching record highs. If businesses still maintain their old management thinking, they will not only lose talent but also lose their core competitive advantage.
Anphabe Company gives the leading reasons why workers/talents quit their jobs in 2026.
The race is not just about "absolute numbers
Data from Anphabe Company shows that the rate of talents leaving for higher salaries has skyrocketed from 47% (2024) to 57% (2025).
From Anphabe's perspective, this 10% increase reflects a well-founded pragmatism. In 2026, in the context of rising living costs, skilled personnel are very aware of their market value. As information barriers on salaries and bonuses are gradually being removed by connection platforms, employees can easily feel "unfair" if their contributions are not proportional to their income. However, salary is only a "necessary condition". Businesses do not necessarily have to pay the highest, but must pay "convincingly" and transparently in the bonus increase roadmap.
Promotion and skill upgrades: "Insurance" for the future
This is the most sensitive touch point in 2025. There is a resonance between the reason "Searching for career advancement opportunities" (43%) and "Want to upgrade skills" (40%). Both recorded record growth (+14% and +16% respectively compared to 2024).
In 2026, the fear of being eliminated in the AI and automation era further makes workers/talents understand that if they stand still, they are falling behind. They leave the business not because it is too stressful, but because it is so "safe" that there is nothing left to learn.
From "More Benefits" to "Compulsory Standards
The strongest increase in the survey of reasons for resignation was due to the need to balance work and life (+16%), reaching 42% in 2025.
In 2026, workers/talents not only ask: "How much do I earn?" but also ask: "What do I have to sacrifice?". After periods of struggling with businesses to overcome difficulties, workers begin to prioritize mental health. They are willing to refuse a high-paying position if they have to sacrifice it by being "on duty" 24/7.
Other "underground" shifts
Besides financial and career reasons, environmental and emotional factors are also creating silent waves of shift:
New challenge (31%): Talents usually don't wait until they are extremely bored. They leave when they feel they have "touched the ceiling of learning" and are no longer assigned difficult math problems to assert themselves.
Appropriate culture (26%): Culture is rarely the reason for resignation stated in the application, but it is the real reason why employees feel out of place and lose long-term connection.
Location and flexibility (25%): This figure is nearly double compared to last year (13%). Forcing employees to be present at the office 100% of the time is gradually becoming a major minus point in the eyes of Gen Y and Gen Z talents.
Pursuing dreams (21%): The "sideline job" or personal startup trend is urging talents to leave constrained structures to find their own meaning.
