Since late last year, Pouyuen Vietnam Co., Ltd. in Tan Tao ward has needed to recruit 3,000 new workers, accounting for approximately 8% of its total workforce. This task falls not only to the human resources department but also to the individual workshops.

Recruitment notices are posted at bus stations, bus stops, and in worker community groups. In addition to salary and statutory benefits, the company offers new employee bonuses, annual salary increases, a 13th-month bonus, full participation in statutory insurance, 24/7 accident insurance, gifts for holidays, Tet, and birthdays, free shift meals, shuttle services to neighboring provinces, company kindergartens or childcare support, and cash rewards for both referrers and new hires.

To boost recruitment, Pouyuen has an internal referral bonus policy for both the referrer and the new worker. Depending on whether the position is administrative or shift-based, the bonus can accumulate at 3-month and 6-month milestones of employment, with total rewards reaching several million dong per person.

Workers at Pouyuen company, Binh Tan district after work. Photo: Quynh Tran

Workshops also create video clips to post on Facebook, Zalo, TikTok, and other platforms to reach potential workers. However, according to Dang Hong Lien, the company's human resources manager, the number of applicants is not high. Recruitment has been ongoing and the required number has not yet been met.

Similarly, recognizing the increasing scarcity of labor, since late last year, the Board of Directors of PPJ Group, a textile and garment company headquartered in Tang Nhon Phu ward, has held continuous meetings on human resources to prepare for its 2026 operational plan.

"After Tet, the demand for production labor increased sharply, but the supply is not as abundant as before," said Lam Thi Ngoc Ha, director of PPJ-Wiser factory, one of the group's factories based in Ho Chi Minh City. To attract workers, PPJ adjusted its compensation policies. The attraction bonus for 2026 increased to 3,6 million dong per person, which is 1,2 million dong higher than the previous year. Workers who complete the first six months of the year receive a bonus of 2,4 million dong; those who complete the last six months receive an additional 1,2 million dong.

The company also expanded its internal referral bonus policy. Current workers who successfully refer skilled sewing laborers will receive one million dong, double the previous amount.

Skilled workers are assessed for their proficiency level immediately upon hiring, based on the types of machines and production stages they are adept at, to ensure a commensurate salary. Unskilled workers receive training and benefits such as attendance allowances and support for fuel and lodging. The average income for all group workers in 2025 was about 10 million dong per month, with a target of 11 million dong this year, not including bonuses.

At PPJ-Wiser, the factory needs to recruit 100 workers, equivalent to 14% of its workforce. On average, the factory recruits 3–5 workers daily, sometimes reaching 8–12 people. "It's slow, but relatively stable compared to the general market," said Ms. Ha.

Workers at PPJ-Wiser factory, Tang Nhon Phu ward, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Le Tuyet

PPJ and Pouyuen are among the Ho Chi Minh City businesses that need workers after Tet, with a total demand reaching 60,000 people. A report by the Department of Home Affairs indicates that unskilled labor accounts for nearly 40%; processing and technical industries for more than 23%; with the remainder in trade, services, logistics, and highly specialized groups.

According to the Department of Home Affairs, the rate of workers returning to work after Tet was high this year, nearly 90% in the first days of the year, and job-hopping also decreased. Despite stable labor, recruitment demand sharply increases cyclically at the beginning of the year as orders pile up, creating immediate pressure on businesses. Overall, Ho Chi Minh City faces a localized labor shortage of about 5%, mainly in production roles.

Nguyen Vo Minh Thu, deputy head of the Ho Chi Minh City Export Processing Zones and Industrial Parks Authority (HEPZA), stated that for the first six months of 2026 alone, businesses in these zones expect to recruit over 25,000 workers, of whom nearly 22,000 are unskilled laborers, primarily in the garment, footwear, food processing, and electronics industries.

Similarly, statistics from the Ho Chi Minh City Employment Service Center show that immediately after Tet, 978 businesses registered to recruit for over 36,807 positions. Demand is concentrated in unskilled labor and labor-intensive sectors such as textiles and garments, electrical and electronics, sales, services, and hospitality.

According to Nguyen Van Hanh Thuc, director of the Ho Chi Minh City Employment Service Center, recruiting workers is becoming increasingly difficult because many localities have developed industrial zones, creating jobs locally. Workers prioritize working near home rather than moving to Ho Chi Minh City for rented accommodation. A segment of young workers tends to seek more flexible, independent jobs instead of fixed 8-hour factory work.

Workers operating an automatic cutting machine at PPJ-Wiser factory. Photo: Le Tuyet

To attract workers, factories are expanding recruitment channels, increasing attraction bonuses, offering internal referral bonuses, raising actual income, and building stable work environments. The Ho Chi Minh City Employment Service Center regularly organizes both online and in-person job fairs, connecting with workers. However, in the long term, the labor market is shifting from focusing on quantity to quality. According to Ms. Thuc, businesses are compelled to invest in training, skill enhancement, and improved welfare to retain workers.

Meanwhile, PPJ-Wiser factory director Lam Thi Ngoc Ha believes that to cope with the labor shortage, the factory has applied technology to many production stages for several years. For example, automatic machines are used for cutting and buttoning, reducing the number of workers in these departments and increasing productivity. This year, the factory continues to automate many processes to reduce recruitment pressure.

Le Tuyet