Workers increase their income but their lives have not improved

Number of employed workers increases

According to the Statistics Office, the number of employed workers in the fourth quarter of 2025 is estimated at 52.7 million people, an increase of 477.5 thousand people compared to the previous quarter and an increase of 656.2 thousand people compared to the same period last year. In 2025, the number of employed workers will be 52.4 million, an increase of 578.3 thousand people (equivalent to an increase of 1.1%) compared to the previous year.

Meanwhile, the rate of unemployment among working-age people in the fourth quarter of 2025 was 1.67%, up 0.17 percentage points compared to the previous quarter and up 0.02 percentage points compared to the same period last year. In 2025, the rate of unemployment among working-age people will be 1.65%, down 0.20 percentage points compared to the previous year; of which the rate of unemployment in urban areas is 1.25%; the rate of unemployment in rural areas is 1.93%.

In general, the labor force in 2025 will remain stable, the participation rate will increase slightly; many manufacturing and service industries will recover, creating more jobs, especially trade, logistics, tourism and processing and manufacturing industry. However, the quality of employment is not commensurate with the reduction in working hours and short-term contracts, causing many workers to "have jobs but lack jobs" and have unstable income. Young workers and the informal sector are clearly affected; the unemployment rate and unemployment tend to increase slightly compared to 2024, showing that the sustainability of employment is still limited.

Average income increases but slower than living expenses

Data from the Statistics Office shows that the average income of workers in the fourth quarter of 2025 is 8.7 million VND/month, an increase of 323,000 VND compared to the third quarter of 2025 and an increase of 508,000 VND compared to the same period in 2024. In 2025, the average income of workers will be 8.4 million VND/month, an increase of 8.9%, equivalent to an increase of 685,000 VND compared to the previous year.

However, according to Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan Huong - former Director of the Institute of Social Labor Sciences, the increase in income of workers has not kept up with the escalation of living costs, especially in large cities. Rental prices, medical services, education, travel... continue to increase, causing spending pressure to increase.

"Income has increased substantially, but the actual life of a part of workers has not improved accordingly" - Ms. Lan Huong said.

The job structure continues to shift

In 2025, the rate of informal workers will be 63.1%, down 1.4 percentage points compared to the previous year. Of which, urban areas are 47.0%, down 2.0 percentage points; rural areas are 73.3%, down 0.8 percentage points; men are 66.4%, down 1.1 percentage points and women are 59.3%, down 1.7 percentage points.

Workers self-employed (who mainly produce agricultural products (food, goods) for family or personal use, instead of selling to the market) in the fourth quarter of 2025 were 3.8 million people, an increase of 34,100 people compared to the previous quarter and an increase of 177,100 people compared to the same period last year.

Commenting on the employment structure in 2025, Mr. Bui Sy Loi - former Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Social Affairs (now the Social Committee) - assessed that 2025 will witness a clear shift in the employment structure. The proportion of labor in the agricultural sector continues to decrease, while the industry - construction and service sector plays a leading role.

The service sector, digital economy and employment associated with technology platforms continue to expand. Many young workers participate in flexible job models such as e-commerce, logistics, delivery, content creation, digital services. This shift also poses challenges to the quality and sustainability of jobs. Many new jobs are created quickly, but there is a lack of labor contracts and social insurance, causing workers to face long-term risks.

The fluctuations in the labor market in 2025 show that skills and adaptability have become a vital factor. Enterprises increasingly prioritize multi-skill workers, who can take on many positions, use technology and work flexibly.

Faced with this pressure, many workers have proactively studied more, improved their skills, and switched to fields with higher demand. The trend of " retaking a job" is increasingly popular, reflecting the change in the professional thinking of the workforce" - Mr. Loi said.

Mr. Bui Sy Loi said that the fluctuations in the labor market in 2025 pose many new requirements for policies. On the one hand, it is necessary to continue supporting businesses to recover and create stable jobs; on the other hand, it is necessary to pay more attention to job quality, wages and social security for workers.

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