The General Statistics Office, in its announcement on the labor and employment situation for Quarter III/2026, reported that compared to the previous quarter and the same period last year, the average monthly income for workers increased in the industry-construction and service sectors, while it decreased in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. The service sector recorded the highest increase, reaching 10,9 million VND, a rise of nearly 3%; the industry-construction sector saw income of 9,9 million VND, up nearly 2%; however, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries experienced a decrease of 1,4% compared to Quarter II, with an average income of only 5,4 million VND.

The service and industry-construction sectors also registered high employment figures, with 21,7 million people (approximately 41%) and 18 million people (nearly 34%) employed, respectively. In contrast, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries employed 13,3 million people. Compared to Quarter II, employment in the service sector increased by nearly 118.000 people; the industry-construction sector added 150.000 people, while agriculture, forestry, and fisheries saw an increase of 24.500 people.

The industrial sector maintained substantial growth due to expanded growth drivers, the operation of several large-scale projects, a recovery in export orders, and accelerated public investment progress. The added value for this entire sector increased by more than 11% compared to the same period last year.

The average monthly income for workers in Quarter III this year reached 9,2 million VND, an increase of over 215.000 VND compared to the previous quarter and 823.800 VND compared to the same period last year. The increase in income for salaried workers was partly due to a rise in the basic salary effective from 1/7.

The statistics agency noted that the average income for men was approximately 10,3 million VND, 1,3 times higher than that for women, which stood at 7,9 million VND. Urban areas recorded 10,9 million VND compared to 8 million VND in rural areas. For the first 9 months combined, the average labor income reached 9,1 million VND, an increase of more than 9% compared to the same period in 2025.

The General Statistics Office assessed that the labor market continued its stable trend this quarter. Both employed labor and average monthly income increased compared to Quarter II and the same period in 2025, while informal and underemployed labor decreased. The unemployment rate among the working-age population remained stable at over 2,2%, showing little change across the two comparative periods. For the first 9 months of 2026, the labor force aged 15 and above totaled 53,8 million people, an increase of 697.000 compared to the same period last year.

Quarter III saw the consumer price index (CPI) increase by 4,8% compared to the same period in 2025. All main groups of consumer goods and services experienced price increases. Notably, the transportation group index rose most significantly by over 7,7%, primarily due to domestic gasoline and oil prices being adjusted in line with global fuel price developments.

Following this, the housing, electricity, water, fuel, and construction materials group increased by nearly 6,6% compared to the same period in 2025; within this, rental housing and imputed owner-occupied housing prices alone increased by nearly 6%, and household electricity by more than 2%. The price index for the food and catering services group rose by nearly 4,6% compared to the same period last year, mainly due to increased consumer demand during holidays. Other groups, such as education (up 3,4%), culture, entertainment, and tourism (up 3,5%), and medicines and healthcare services (up 1,3%), all contributed to the overall CPI increase.

Workers at a Hanoi construction site, 5/2026. *Photo: Hoang Giang*

For the last three months of the year, the General Statistics Office recommended continuing to promote growth alongside macroeconomic stability and inflation control. Key tasks include: accelerating the implementation of public investment capital, removing obstacles to support domestic production and businesses in enhancing export capabilities, and stimulating consumer demand.

Hong Chieu