Bac Ninh province faces a significant labor demand, with factories needing nearly 334,000 workers. Vu Tien Thanh, Deputy Director of the Bac Ninh Employment Service Center, highlighted that a substantial portion of this demand, 87%, is for unskilled laborers, predominantly within the electronics and electrical sector. Major companies like Goetek Vina alone plan to recruit 120,000 people, Fukang 60,000, Luxshare 40,000, and Newwing Interconnect Technology 12,000.

The electronics and electrical industry accounts for nearly 70% of the total labor demand. Other sectors also contribute significantly: textiles and garments require 13%, processing and manufacturing industries 7%, and construction 5%. Regarding skill levels, unskilled labor comprises 87% of the demand, followed by university graduates at nearly 6%, college graduates at 3%, intermediate-level workers at over 2%, and primary-level workers at 1%.

Local training institutions in Bac Ninh supply over 20,000 people annually, meeting approximately 30% of the province's labor needs. The remaining demand is addressed through partnerships with external universities and colleges. While trained personnel often find immediate employment, there remains a shortage of high-quality labor, particularly in the electronics and semiconductor fields.

College students in Bac Ninh receive recruitment advice at a job fair in early 2025. Photo: Hong Chieu

For unskilled labor, the periods before and after Tet (Lunar New Year) represent peak seasons, with tens of thousands of workers needed. Surveys indicate that many businesses offer substantial recruitment bonuses to attract workers, averaging 7-8 million dong, with some even higher. One company offers a 9 million dong bonus to self-applicants who complete four months of work, and an additional 4 million dong bonus to internal referrers.

While these recruitment bonuses provide immediate income benefits for workers and help businesses quickly secure a large workforce, Mr. Thanh notes a long-term challenge. A segment of the labor force frequently changes jobs to chase these bonuses, making it difficult for companies to retain employees. This pattern often leads workers back to a "starting point" with lower salaries and social insurance contributions at new workplaces, ultimately disadvantaging them in future unemployment and retirement benefits.

"Workers with a history of frequent job changes may lose opportunities for long-term employment when faced with strict recruiters," Mr. Thanh stated. He recommends that businesses integrate these bonuses into monthly salaries to increase social insurance contributions and focus on welfare and skill training to foster longer employee loyalty.

Bac Ninh led the nation in foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction in 2025, securing 5.5 billion USD. The province hosts nearly 3,400 industrial projects, primarily in electronics, components, apparel, and logistics. These projects attract approximately 830,000 workers, many of whom come from other provinces. With industrial land occupancy exceeding 55% and factories continuously expanding, labor shortages persist, particularly during peak times such as before Tet and in the early part of the year.

Hong Chieu - Viet An