The Ministry of Home Affairs has just announced the Vietnam Labor Market Bulletin for the first quarter of 2026 with many notable indicators on employment, unemployment, income and recruitment trends.
In the first quarter of 2026, the national labor force reached 53.6 million people, an increase of nearly 233,000 people compared to the previous quarter and an increase of nearly 688,000 people compared to the same period in 2025. The labor force participation rate reached 68.3%, of which men were 74.5% and women were 62.3%.
The number of people with jobs reached 52.5 million, an increase of 0.4% compared to the previous quarter and an increase of 1.3% compared to the same period last year. However, the rate of trained workers with degrees and certificates only reached 29.6%.
Regarding unemployment, the whole country has 1.06 million unemployed people of working age, corresponding to a unemployment rate of 2.21%. In urban areas alone, the unemployment rate is 2.46%. Notably, the youth unemployment rate from 15-24 years old is up to 8.86%.
In addition, the number of unemployed people is 786,700 people, accounting for 1.68%. The group of unemployed youth and those who do not participate in education and training (NEET) is about 1.6 million people, equivalent to 11.4% of the total number of young people.
The average income of employees in the first quarter reached 9 million VND/month, an increase of 329,200 VND (3.8%) compared to the fourth quarter of 2025; an increase of 705,700 VND (8.5%) compared to the first quarter of 2025.
Employee salaries reached 10 million VND/month, an increase of 622,000 VND (6.6%) compared to the first quarter of 2025;
In which, male workers reached 10.1 million VND/month, and female workers reached 7.7 million VND/month.
From the perspective of the organizing unit, connecting labor supply and demand in the Capital, Mr. Vu Quang Thanh - Deputy Director of Hanoi Employment Service Center - said that in 2026 there may be no clear boundaries between "technology industry" and "traditional industry". Digital skills will become a fundamental condition, present in most job positions, from production, services to management.
According to Mr. Thanh, workers do not necessarily have to become technology experts but must know how to apply technology in their work, such as working on digital platforms, processing basic data, operating smart machines and interacting with digital management systems.
He believes that positions that do not meet this requirement will gradually be narrowed down or replaced. In addition, technological thinking - understanding how technology changes processes and improves efficiency - is increasingly important, helping employees adapt when businesses continuously update systems, software and new management models.
