Workers give up their Tết holiday to work at Long Thành International Airport's construction site. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam’s labour market is forecast to experience temporary shortages in several regions following the Tết holiday, driven by workers relocating or switching jobs, according to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA).

In a report, the Ministry noted that pre-holiday seasonal hiring surged as businesses ramped up production to meet demand.

HCM City alone estimated a need for more than 28,000 seasonal workers, primarily in trade and service sectors. While many firms offered increased bonuses to retain staff, early departures of migrant workers returning to their hometowns triggered localised labour shortfalls.

The Ministry also acknowledged that a few firms delayed 13th-month salary bonuses and social insurance payments ahead of Tết, sparking worker discontent.

Notably, over 700 workers at Vạn Hà Garment JSC in Thanh Hóa Province staged a collective work stoppage to demand overdue bonuses and benefits, and 251 workers at Minh Hoàng Garment 2 LTD in Quảng Nam Province halted work over unpaid bonuses.

However, seven such incidents happened in late 2024, down by half year-on-year, which MOLISA attributed to improved welfare programmes.

Two such programmes were 'Union Train Spring 2025' organised by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour to support round-trip train tickets for 1,750 workers from southern provinces to the north and 'Sponsored Union Flights' that took 400 workers home on HCM City-Hà Nội and HCM City-Vinh routes.

During Tết, thousands of workers in some key industrial hubs and major national projects such as Long Thành International Airport gave up their family gatherings to remain on the job.

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính visited workers at Long Thành International Airport on February 1 and the Đồng Đăng-Trà Lĩnh Expressway on February 2, delivering Tết gifts and words of encouragement.

After Tết, MOLISA warned that an influx of public sector employees affected by government restructuring policies would enter the job market, complicating efforts to match workers with vacancies.

The Ministry urged labour agencies to strengthen monitoring of supply-demand trends and expand online job-matching platforms across provinces to fill the forecast labour gaps in the first quarter.

Local authorities and businesses were urged to implement 'back-to-work' plans to ensure swift resumption of operations. The Ministry also emphasised that ensuring labour stability post-holiday requires proactive coordination between all stakeholders. — VNS