A report by VietnamWorks, compiled from over 19,000 businesses' job postings, reveals a dynamic shift in Vietnam's Q1 2026 recruitment market. The national recruitment index reached 122,3 points (with Q1 2024 as the baseline of 100), indicating a continued labor market recovery with a 22,3% increase from two years ago and a 5,4% rise compared to the same period in 2025.

The architecture and construction sector experienced the most significant growth, with job postings increasing by nearly 29% year-on-year. This growth surpasses that of human resources/recruitment (17,5%) and accounting/auditing (16%). Conversely, administrative office roles and business positions saw declines of 11,2% and 11,1% respectively. This sector's recruitment scale has also notably improved, climbing from 9th place in job posting volume two years ago to the third position in Q1 this year, trailing only business and accounting/auditing.

An engineer works at the APEC conference center construction site in Phu Quoc, 3/2026. Photo: An Phuong

The surge in demand for construction personnel is attributed to a recovery in investment, particularly public investment and large-scale infrastructure projects. Economic data for Q1 shows Vietnam's GDP increasing by 7,83%, with the industrial and construction sector growing by 8,92%, and construction alone expanding by 8,36%. Increased public investment disbursement, along with the expansion of expressways, industrial parks, housing projects, and the relaunch of many real estate developments, drives a substantial need for site engineers, construction supervisors, design specialists, and cost estimators. Geographically, Hanoi saw a 24,6% increase in recruitment demand for this sector, while Ho Chi Minh City recorded the highest growth among all surveyed sectors at 41%.

In contrast, the information technology/telecommunications sector saw its recruitment demand drop by two ranks compared to 2024, aligning with a broader slowdown trend observed in marketing, advertising, media, and technical science. The IT industry is entering an adjustment phase, with many businesses shifting their focus from expansion to cost optimization. This strategic change prioritizes recruiting highly specialized personnel over simply increasing headcount.

Regarding compensation, data from TopCV indicates that construction engineers earn an average monthly salary of approximately 16,5 million VND, typically ranging from 13 million VND to 20 million VND. Engineers with 3-5 years of experience can expect around 18,5 million VND, while those with over 5 years of experience often earn about 21,5 million VND, generally between 18 million VND and 25 million VND. In major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, senior engineers may receive 22 million VND to 23 million VND per month. Despite these salaries not yet matching those of senior programmers, architecture and construction currently represent a sector with robust recruitment demand, prompting many businesses to enhance benefits to attract skilled professionals.

Le Tuyet