Employers are expecting their hiring intentions to increase in the last two quarters of 2022, as positive growth rates are reported in various sectors, a survey has shown.

According to the Viet Nam Employment Outlook Survey Q3-Q4/2022 by ManpowerGroup, over 70 per cent of the surveyed companies have recovered from the pandemic with 50 per cent or more actively recovered. Meanwhile, about 12 per cent said that their business operations remained significantly affected.

Thanks to the Government's timely and practical support policies, businesses in Viet Nam have been flexibly and proactively adapting to the new normal and maintaining a strong recovery momentum post pandemic, the survey has revealed.

Positive economic outlook gives employers in Viet Nam confidence to increase recruitment in the second half of 2022, though not as high as in the last six months.

In total, 88 per cent of the surveyed enterprises plan to increase or at least maintain the current headcounts as compared to 95 per cent of the equivalent index in the first half of 2022.

According to the survey, strongest recruitment intentions were reported in manufacturing and processing, wholesale, retail and trading, banking and finance, professional consulting services, construction, food and beverage, hospitality-accommodation and real estate.

“The current Vietnamese labour market from our perspective is bustling, especially in mass recruitment and blue-collar worker hiring," said Nguyen Xuan Son, acting country operations manager, staffing and outsourcing services, ManpowerGroup Vietnam.

"The supply chain/logistics industry continues its remarkable growth, especially since the pandemic, as it has played a key role in circulation and transportation of goods, necessities, and production materials," Son said.

The survey has also found that businesses in various fields are facing recruitment challenges with up to 57 per cent of the surveyed employers have experienced difficulty in hiring.

Foreign language skills are becoming an indispensable requirement for workers. Up to 24 per cent of the respondents revealed that the percentage of their employees with English proficiency is quite low. Particularly, 30 per cent of the surveyed companies said that fewer than 10 per cent of their employees have the necessary English skills to work.

As per the survey, the current demand for recruitment in industrial parks is vibrant, especially in manufacturing and processing, electronics and technology.

According to Nguyen Thu Trang, country sales manager, ManpowerGroup Vietnam, many employers could not recruit the desired number of workers despite increasing the benefits package.

Besides permanent recruitment services, businesses increasingly use outsourcing services to supplement their current labour force during peak seasons, Trang said.

The survey was conducted at the end of the second quarter of 2022 with more than 100 employers in 21 different industries across the country. The respondents were human resources managers, talent acquisition managers, business owners and HR specialists in diverse industries. — VNS