Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh Hoa used to be a garment worker in Viet Hung ward (Hanoi). Quitting her job in June 2025, Ms. Hoa found a new job through the Hanoi Employment Service Center. By the 3rd session, she was accepted as a janitor of a private company, starting salary of 6.5 million VND/month.
I agreed to do it because the company is 1km away from home, saves gas and can go home for lunch. I also don't have many choices because after participating in several job transaction sessions, some sessions I didn't get an interview, some sessions after the interview I didn't get hired. General laborers cannot have many choices," Ms. Hoa said.
Also accepting to work as a general laborer with a salary of 9 million VND/month, Mr. Nguyen Van Tien (Chuong My ward, Hanoi) decided to work as a mechanical construction worker for a mechanical company in Ha Dong ward (Hanoi).
Mr. Tien shared that he used to work as a construction worker for acquaintances in the locality, then worked as a worker in a non-baked brick production company. All these jobs have low salaries or are paid per day. "Many people "dislike" a salary of 9 million VND, but I need income to ensure my life, without qualifications, there are not many choices," Mr. Tien shared.
Mr. Nguyen Van Hung - Director of Manh Phat Mechanical and Metal Production Co., Ltd. (Phuong Liet ward, Hanoi) said that each year his company recruits about 50 personnel, 90% of whom are workers and unskilled laborers.
We recruit unskilled workers to compensate for the number of jobs quitting and serving production. The starting salary for unskilled workers is about 6 million VND/month, providing lunch; skilled workers have a salary of 10 million VND/month," Mr. Hung said.
A summary from the Hanoi Employment Service Center shows that in January 2026, the demand for general labor recruitment in the city accounted for 27.8% of the total demand. Correspondingly, the salary levels that businesses mainly pay to low-sector workers accounted for the highest proportion: Salary levels from 5-10 million VND/month accounted for 68.4%; salary levels from 10-20 million VND/month accounted for 29.1%.
In February 2026, the demand for recruiting workers with elementary qualifications accounted for 38.2%. The salary paid by businesses was 5-10 million VND/month, accounting for 69.7%.
According to Mr. Vu Quang Thanh - Deputy Director of Hanoi Employment Service Center, the labor market in Hanoi in recent years has recorded many movements, especially when the recruitment demand of businesses is still maintained at a high level. However, reality shows that most job positions in the market today are still concentrated in the low-income segment, recruiting many unskilled workers, with salaries mainly fluctuating in the range of 5–10 million VND/month.
Hanoi Employment Service Center records from recruitment channels and job exchanges that popular recruitment positions in Hanoi today mainly belong to the group of production, sales, services, delivery, customer care or general labor in industrial parks. These are jobs that require not too high skill requirements and the salary is usually in the lowest segment of 5–10 million VND/month, even the salary may be lower for some industries.
