With Tet (Lunar New Year) approaching in 2026, Ho Chi Minh City needs 30,000 workers: Which sectors are booming?

During the end of the year and leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year) 2026, the total number of new and replacement job positions in Ho Chi Minh City is estimated to be between 25,000 and 30,000.

Entering 2026, the city's labor market is projected to continue expanding in quantity but faces significant pressure regarding quality, posing demands on businesses and training institutions.

Approximately 30,000 workers will be needed during the period leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year) in 2026.

According to Ms. Luong Thi Toi, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Internal Affairs, in the period leading up to Tet 2026, the market will see continued recruitment demand in the garment, footwear, furniture, electronics, and mechanical manufacturing industries as businesses prepare for orders in early 2026. The food and beverage industry will see a surge in demand for manpower during the Tet season.

The total number of new and replacement jobs in the period leading up to Tet 2026 is estimated to be between 25,000 and 30,000. A prominent trend in the labor market during this period is seasonal employment to serve the holiday season.

Regarding the labor market forecast for 2026, Ms. Luong Thi Toi emphasized that this is the first year that the labor market of Ho Chi Minh City, after the merger, officially enters a new era of development. The forecast predicts strong growth in the number of jobs, but also challenges in terms of quality. Therefore, businesses and training institutions need to adjust their training strategies for the city's future workforce.

Based on the socio -economic development plan for the period 2025-2030, Vietnam's labor market will develop towards a digital economy, automation, green transition, renewable energy, clean transportation, and efficient logistics. It is projected that during the period 2025-2030, Ho Chi Minh City will need between 800,000 and over 1 million new workers, with approximately 70% concentrated in the service and high-tech industries. Vietnam will have a great need for high-quality human resources in the fields of technology, engineering, economics, and modern services.

The total number of new and replacement jobs in the period leading up to Tet 2026 is estimated to be between 25,000 and 30,000.

PHOTO: YEN THI

The trends of digital transformation, sustainable development, and the green economy also have a strong impact on the industry structure, training orientation, and skill requirements for the workforce.

Ms. Luong Thi Toi noted that the current percentage of trained workers is still relatively low. Therefore, management units, businesses, and schools need to pay attention to this issue in the coming period to increase this percentage and ensure that the quality of the workforce after training can fill the job positions that employers need.

Mr. Tran Anh Tuan, a human resource forecasting expert and Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Vocational Education and Training Association, said that in recent times, many businesses have faced difficulties in recruiting workers, especially skilled technical workers who have undergone vocational training. The main reason is that the supply of trained labor has not met the market demand…

Businesses are also changing their recruitment trends, needing more workers with specialized skills and qualifications, while the Vietnamese market is currently experiencing a shortage of such workers.

The logistics industry is projected to experience strong growth.

According to Mr. Tran Anh Tuan, the 2026 labor market will focus on several advantageous sectors for investment and development, such as: transportation hubs with infrastructure systems including warehouses, export ports, airports, and logistics...

The upcoming labor market trend will put unskilled, low-skilled, and weak-skilled workers at a disadvantage, leading to unemployment. Furthermore, the market is undergoing a strong digital transformation, causing many to leave the labor market due to incompatibility.

The demand for human resources at the end of the year and in the transition to the beginning of 2026 tends to be concentrated in four industry groups.

GRAPHICS: YEN THI

In particular, the logistics industry will develop strongly , becoming an important service sector in international trade. To meet the ever-increasing workload, the demand for logistics personnel is constantly rising.

Furthermore, Viet Research's Vietnam Labor Market Report 2024–2025 highlights three notable trends: approximately 70% of businesses have implemented digital transformation; over 60% are facing difficulties in recruiting digitally skilled personnel; and 80% are investing heavily in retraining and upskilling. This signals a shift in the workforce model – from unskilled labor to highly skilled professionals.

According to Mr. Tran Anh Tuan, when entering the labor market, newly graduated students and young workers must possess soft skills, communication skills, problem-solving skills, the ability to handle work pressure, and the ability to combine theory with practice… in order to meet the necessary conditions set by the market for specific job positions.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/can-tet-2026-tphcm-can-30000-lao-dong-nganh-nao-dang-bung-no-185251211233304707.htm