Textile and garment enterprises in Ho Chi Minh City face difficulties due to lack of workers

Workers proactively find jobs after Tet

In recent days, the area in front of the gate of Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone (District 7) has become bustling with a series of recruitment boards set up by businesses. In the KCX campus, many workers arrived early in the morning to submit their applications and seek job opportunities.

Mr. Nguyen Hoang Vu (23 years old, living in Nha Be district) shared: "Before Tet, I had my personnel cut, my life was unstable". Mr. Vu said that he used to be a shipping employee at the warehouse, now he wants to seek opportunities in the field of electronic components. He submitted his application to many units but was not yet accepted because he did not have enough experience.

Ms. Le Quynh Nhu (32 years old, living in District 7) hopes to find a stable job to work with her husband at Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone, after she lost her job in June 2024. During her days looking for a job, Ms. Nhu was also worried because at her age, she was no longer young, afraid that she would not be able to meet the requirements of the employers.

Textile and garment enterprises still find it difficult to recruit suitable people

A reality that is not new but still happening in the labor market is that while there are many job seekers, businesses cannot recruit suitable workers.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Trang - Chairman of the Trade Union of Son Kim Production and Trading Joint Stock Company (Cat Lai Industrial Park, Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City) - said that the company currently has about 170 employees. However, before Tet, many workers quit their jobs due to shifting labor to their hometowns or quitting their jobs to enjoy a one-time social insurance policy, while the number of daily orders increased, causing businesses to face many difficulties in production.

After Tet, the company needs to recruit 50 - 100 more workers with a basic salary of 7 - 8 million VND/month, if overtime, the income can reach 10 - 12 million VND/month. The company is committed to fully implementing insurance and salary regimes according to legal regulations.

To attract workers, businesses have implemented many attractive policies such as diligence bonuses, support for workers' housing rental and monthly bonuses for well-working workers.

Despite many incentives, the number of documents submitted to the company has not yet met expectations. Mr. Trang said that currently, young workers are not interested in working in the garment industry and there are continuously workers quitting their jobs. Therefore, despite many orders, the company cannot increase the number of transfers due to lack of personnel.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Tuan - Human Resources Director of Thanh Cong Textile, Investment and Trading Joint Stock Company - said that the textile and garment industry is facing a labor shortage. Although there are not many fluctuations at the end of 2024, the company still promotes recruitment after Tet to expand production.

In the West, the company is recruiting 1,000 workers with many attractive policies. Although the number of candidates is no longer as abundant as before, it still ensures enough human resources. On the contrary, in Ho Chi Minh City, although only recruiting 300 workers, the recruitment process is facing many difficulties.

To attract candidates, the company applies an attractive salary and bonus policy, introduction bonuses, and widely promoting recruitment, said Mr. Tuan. Mr. Tuan commented that the shift of workers to their hometowns is the main cause of shortage in Ho Chi Minh City. The company has invested in technology and automation to reduce labor dependence, in parallel with improving benefits. However, the increase in product prices is a big challenge, causing difficulties in increasing wages for workers.