Recruitment demands in Quarter 2 have dropped 20% from the previous quarter, according to Adecco Vietnam.

The recruitment and staffing company’s report on the labour market released on July 2 cited a survey among 330 HR experts in May this year, in which 93% of the respondents said their companies were affected by COVID-19. Up to 43% of the companies saw their revenues reduce by 21-40%.

Companies also had to suspend payment rise and promotion, or cut working hours.

However, there were increases by 10-15% in demands for technical experts and sales persons in companies operating in technology, health care and consumer goods.

Nguyen Thu Ha, head of Adecco Vietnam’s Hanoi office, said local experts were more sought after in Q2 than foreign counterparts, which is attributable to cuts in recruitment budget and travel restrictions. The salary on offer was also lower that the average last year.

Ha said recruitment demands will improve in Q3 when some countries begin to re-open its border and companies rush to implement their business plans which have been delayed.