After nearly 6 years of working as a factory worker in Thang Long Industrial Park (Hanoi), Mr. Pham Van Huy (the character who suggested changing his name, 28 years old, from Nghe An) still dares not to think about getting married, even though he has had a girlfriend for more than 3 years.
Each month, he earns nearly 9 million VND, after deducting the living expenses, sending them back to their parents, and for personal expenses, there is almost no surplus. The male worker said that sometimes he felt self-conscious or worried because his income was not enough to take care of his new life if he had a wife and children.
I want to get married, but thinking about renting a room, raising children, and living in Hanoi, I hesitate. Current income is not enough to take care of myself, let alone take care of my family" - Mr. Huy shared in a rented room of more than 10 square meters located deep in a small alley in Kim Chung commune.
"Even the wedding fee must be calculated very carefully, not just love is a wedding" - Mr. Huy added.
Mr. Huy's situation is not uncommon. A survey conducted by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor in March - April 2025 on nearly 3,000 workers in 10 provinces and cities showed that up to 72.6% of unmarried people said that their salary was the main reason why they were not married.
Workers feel that their current income is not enough to ensure a stable life when starting a family, especially in the context of increasing living expenses and raising children.
Salary not only affects the ability to spend daily but also affects the ability to buy a house, save for the future and ensure basic needs for a new family.
This figure reflects the reality that the current salary of many workers, especially workers from other provinces, does not meet the basic needs to build a home.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai (name change proposal, 29 years old, from Tuyen Quang) - a worker at an electronics company in Quang Minh Industrial Park (Hanoi) has also postponed her wedding many times.
"Both families have pushed me a lot, but I calculated that after getting married, the cost would double, not to mention having to think about giving birth, taking care of children, being sick, and everything. I do not want to get married but live in debt and deprivation" - Ms. Mai confided.
Ms. Mai works part-time, earning 7-8 million VND per month. Despite saving to the maximum, she still does not have enough money to save to buy enough furniture for her family life, not to mention her dream of buying a small piece of land near Hanoi.
The pressure on living expenses is increasing, from rent, electricity, water, food to health insurance prices, ... making it difficult for young workers to consider getting married.
According to the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, this situation shows that the current minimum wage does not really ensure the minimum living standard of workers, especially when they need to improve their quality of life or start a family.
The Vietnam General Confederation of Labor is also proposing to increase the regional minimum wage so that workers can work with peace of mind and stabilize their lives.
