Businesses need more than 41,000 workers
At the 2026 job fair recently organized by the Da Nang City Department of Home Affairs in coordination with Dong A University, up to 209 businesses registered for recruitment, of which more than 100 units directly interviewed.
The total recruitment demand at the festival is up to more than 41,000 workers, ranging from unskilled workers to technical workers and engineers.
It is worth mentioning that, like previous job fairs, the demand for recruiting technical workers and unskilled labor from businesses in Da Nang city always accounts for a very large proportion, but the number of candidates meeting the requirements is not large.
This reflects a reality that the labor supply and demand of Da Nang city continues to be out of sync. There is no shortage of workers, but there is a shortage of workers who meet the requirements of businesses, and the demand for general labor recruitment of businesses is very high, but the market does not supply enough.
According to Mr. Nguyen Qui Quy - Deputy Director of Da Nang Department of Home Affairs, after expanding the development space with the addition of the old Quang Nam province, Da Nang city has many favorable conditions to attract investment, leading to a sharp increase in labor demand.
However, this rapid growth also puts great pressure on the labor market, especially in the industrial and construction sectors.
Reality at key projects shows that labor shortages are no longer isolated but have become common. From large transportation projects such as La Son - Hoa Lien expressway, National Highway 14B, to industrial parks such as Tam Anh - An An Hoa or Lien Chieu port area, human resource demand has increased.
A representative of a construction contractor said that many projects have to advertise continuously, but the number of applications is very small. Some projects urgently need labor to ensure progress, but there are not enough people to implement.
Notably, even when businesses have increased salaries and improved working conditions, recruitment is still not easy.
Mr. Vo Van Toan - Director of a construction technical consulting company - said that part of the reason is that workers tend to switch to lighter occupations or move to other localities.
Need synchronous solutions to retain and improve labor quality
Faced with the above situation, the problem posed is not only to recruit enough people, but also how to have a stable and quality labor source.
From a management perspective, many opinions suggest that Da Nang needs to upgrade the vocational training system in a direction that is linked to the actual needs of businesses. Short-term training currently only meets part of the needs, while the market is in need of highly skilled workers who can work long-term.
At the same time, it is necessary to promote a linkage model between businesses and training institutions, ordering training according to specific needs. This not only helps reduce the gap between training and use, but also creates sustainable job opportunities for workers.
In addition, social security policies for construction workers also need to be given more attention. The specific nature of working according to projects and seasons makes many workers not attached for long. Supporting temporary housing, living conditions, insurance and welfare will contribute to retaining workers.
On the business side, improving the working environment is a key factor. Not only stopping at increasing wages, businesses need to invest in machinery and technology to reduce manual labor, and at the same time build a clear career roadmap so that workers can see the future development.
In addition, it is necessary to change the recruitment approach, from passive to proactive. Instead of waiting for applications, businesses can coordinate with vocational schools and job service centers to recruit and train early.
Da Nang's labor market is facing an important shift, as recruitment demand increases sharply along with the wave of investment and infrastructure development.
However, if the human resource problem is not solved in time, this shortage may become a drag on growth.
Conversely, if it takes advantage of the opportunity to improve the quality of labor resources, improve working conditions and build a sustainable linkage mechanism between workers and businesses, Da Nang will not only solve the immediate problem, but also create a solid foundation for long-term development.
