The labor market in Ho Chi Minh City is recovering, with high recruitment demand in the trade, service, tourism, transport, and food and beverage sectors.

The Centre for Forecasting Manpower Needs and Labour Market Information (FALMI) said businesses in HCMC want to recruit 62,000 workers in the fourth quarter of this year to boost production for the coming Lunar New Year Festival.

The Sai Gon Food Company, which manufactures and distributes frozen and ready-to-eat food to local and export markets, has 2,000 workers. Deputy Director Le Thi Thanh Lam said they will recruit about 100 workers in the fourth quarter of this year and 300 workers next year.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sai Gon Food has maintained stable production of essential commodities. Deputy Director Lam said the company has received large orders for instant soup, noodles, and spaghetti, and packaged hotpot stock from supermarkets and retail chains like Aeon, Co.opmart, and Green Mart. Orders are up 20% from last year.

“We forecast market demand to increase so we’re expanding production. If the pandemic remains under control, we will recruit more workers. Demand for food will increase during the Lunar New Year Festival because the pandemic has little impact on food consumption,” Lam said.

The Pou Yuen Vietnam Company, one of the biggest employers in HCMC, said it will re-hire 2,000 office staff and garments and textiles assembly workers. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company laid off nearly 3,000 workers this year. Now, with Asian markets recovering, it has received new orders for the end of the year. The Tan Quang Minh Bidrico Soft Drink Company has 100 job vacancies, as it will increase production for the New Year demand.

Tran Viet Anh, Vice Chairman of the HCMC Business Association, said "Since October, there have been many positive signals in the market. We see an increasing demand for Christmas and the solar and lunar New Year Holidays. Businesses have resumed and stepped up operations which has increased demand for materials and workers.”

Do Thanh Van, Deputy Director of the Centre for Forecasting Manpower Needs and Labour Market Information pointed out that the job vacancies are mostly in production of essential commodities, healthcare services, and goods delivery. Monthly salaries for unskilled workers range from US$230 to US$430, while skilled workers can earn up to US$650 per month.

Van said workers need to retrain when they go back to work after several months of absence. “They need time to get up to speed again. Even skilled workers have to retrain for group work, assembly discipline, and foreign language for basic communications at work,” Van said.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses have started production of Tet commodities 2 to 3 months later than in previous years.