HCMC – HCMC’s labor market has shown clear signs of recovery in early 2026, with total hiring demand exceeding 55,600 workers, according to the city’s Employment Service Center.
In January, the center organized 28 job fairs, providing career counseling and job matching services to nearly 36,000 job seekers. More than 3,700 people were successfully placed. The center also held eight career counseling and job placement sessions for over 1,300 soldiers scheduled for discharge in 2026, supporting their transition into vocational training and employment.
The center has intensified job placement activities before, during, and after the Lunar New Year holiday, targeting workers, students, and employees who remain in the city. It has received recruitment notices from more than 16,000 companies, seeking over 40,400 workers under regulations governing foreign workers in Vietnam. In addition, nearly 500 firms have recruited more than 15,200 workers for pre- and post-Tet periods, including over 600 temporary and part-time positions.
Data across 27 occupational groups showed that hiring demand in January reached nearly 25,000 positions, well above the roughly 17,500 job seekers registered. This gap indicates improving production and business activity.
Manufacturing and machine operation jobs with skilled labor accounted for the largest share, with more than 3,500 vacancies, reflecting a solid recovery in industrial activity. Business, sales, and finance also recorded notable demand, representing 10.17% and 3.49% of total recruitment needs, respectively.
In contrast, demand remained limited in sectors such as journalism, culture and social services, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, and green or circular economy fields.
The data also point to a mismatch between labor supply and demand. Positions requiring college-level qualifications made up nearly 12% of recruitment needs, while only about 3.3% of job seekers had this level of training. Marketing and communications showed a clear oversupply, with more than 4,500 job seekers competing for just 341 openings.
Notably, nearly half of recruitment demand fell into the unspecified qualification category, suggesting employers are placing greater emphasis on practical skills rather than formal degrees. Meanwhile, unskilled workers accounted for more than 46% of job seekers, intensifying competition in this segment.
Nguyen Van Hanh Thuc, director of the HCMC Employment Service Center, said hiring demand is expected to continue shifting toward technical, electronics maintenance, and production management roles as companies expand automation. Green economy and e-commerce sectors remain small in recruitment terms but are gradually establishing a stronger presence.
She advised workers to upgrade skills and move toward more specialized roles. Vocational certificates and technical training, particularly in machine operation and factory engineering, would improve job prospects compared with oversupplied fields such as communications or administrative work, she said.
