Vietnam's hiring demand accelerates in Q4 2026 driven by tech, AI focus

Recruitment demand in Vietnam is expected to continue rising in the final three months of 2026, according to the Q4 2026 Employment Outlook Survey by HR solutions provider ManpowerGroup.

Data surveyed from 285 domestic enterprises shows that the Net Employment Outlook (NEO), the difference between the percentage of employers planning to hire and those expecting cuts, reached 36 percent for Q4 2026, up 8 percentage points quarter-on-quarter.

Vietnam’s NEO surpasses the regional average for Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa (APME) at 33 percent and the global average at 29 percent. Vietnam ranks third in the APME region and 11th out of 42 surveyed markets globally.

Among companies expecting to expand hiring, 52 percent cited business expansion as the primary driver behind recruitment demand. This figure remains virtually unchanged from Q3, continuing to serve as the leading catalyst and reflecting business confidence heading into the final months of the year.

Conversely, among employers planning job cuts, reduced demand due to automation emerged as the most cited reason. A significant 52 percent of businesses in this group cited automation, more than double the APME regional average of 24 percent and the global average of 22 percent. This underscores the growing impact of automation on workforce planning and skill requirements across Vietnam.

Additionally, two-fifths of companies in this group indicated that hiring reductions stemmed from concerns over economic challenges.

Despite strong demand, finding the right talent remains a challenge. Approximately half of the surveyed enterprises stated that a shortage of candidates with suitable skills is the primary reason for prolonged recruitment cycles. Furthermore, 43 percent of businesses face difficulties due to a mismatch between candidate expectations and actual job requirements.

Ms. Nguyen Thu Trang, Head of Manpower Brand at Manpower Vietnam, noted that while recruitment demand in Vietnam remains positive thanks to expansion plans across many enterprises, hiring approaches are becoming noticeably more strategic.