Less overtime, income "evaporates"
In the factories shining brightly after work hours in Thang Long Industrial Park, Hanoi, Ms. Pham Thi Nhan - a 28-year-old electronic component worker - leaned against the factory window, her eyes mixed with worry. "We are happy about overtime, because that is the only way to cover living expenses... But now the company limits overtime, income keeps "decreasing" while prices keep increasing" - she said.
Ms. Nhan's story is not isolated. For many workers in industrial parks, from Bac Ninh, Thai Nguyen to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, salaries are usually only enough to pay for basic necessities.
Because according to a recent survey report by the VGCL, the average monthly income of workers in the business sector in 2025 reached about 8.4 million VND/month, an increase of nearly 9% compared to the previous year, but many workers still assessed that "it does not accurately reflect the actual needs of family spending".
In the plan to participate in the National Wage Council in 2026 recently issued by the VGCL, the content that workers are particularly interested in is the development of a proposal to adjust the regional minimum wage in 2026.
According to this document, the VGCL will survey and comprehensively assess the lives, spending, and income of workers from February to May 2026 and the proposed plan is expected to be completed in May - June 2026.
Regional minimum wage is still low
According to Decree No. 293/2025/ND-CP effective from January 1, 2026, the regional minimum wage has been adjusted to increase from 250,000 - 350,000 VND/month (equivalent to an average increase of about 7.2%) compared to the previous year.
After deducting the average rent of 1-2 million VND/month, Ms. Nhan still has to worry about food, transportation and sending young children each month, with almost no surplus. "Without overtime, wages are stagnant, we still have to consider each meal. However, increasing wages is more important to improve quality of life than having overtime. Because the current regional minimum wage is still low to improve life" - Ms. Nhan commented.
For many workers, overtime is an opportunity to increase income. But when businesses have fewer orders, and now overtime is reduced, the income level is narrowed.
Mr. Nguyen Van Tam - a worker in Thang Long Industrial Park - recounted: "In some months, if I don't work overtime, the basic salary is only about 8 million VND. With that level, I alone can afford it, now raising young children is quite difficult" - Mr. Tam shared.
Life is difficult not only in terms of salary. Many young workers today also express concern about the future: They postpone their marriage and childbirth plans even though the policy of encouraging childbirth is proposed by many agencies, because current income is not enough to ensure a stable life for a small family.
In that context, the adjustment of the regional minimum wage is expected by the trade union to help improve the lives of workers. The plans will be developed based on actual surveys of the lives and spending of workers and sent to the National Wage Council for negotiation in the second quarter of 2026.
A survey conducted by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour in 2025 with nearly 3,000 workers in 10 provinces and cities shows that more than 54% of workers said that their salaries and incomes are just enough for basic expenses. About 26.3% have to be frugal, spend sparingly and 7.9% are not enough to live on, forced to do other jobs to earn extra income. This reflects the difficult picture of workers in the current salary conditions.
In the preparation phase for the proposal to adjust the minimum wage in 2026, the voice of workers is a fulcrum for policymakers to consider and listen to build a wage level that accurately reflects the actual cost of living and the rights of workers - those who contribute to promoting economic growth.
