Vietnam to prioritise workforce quality over job numbers: Top leader To Lam

Speaking at a working session with the Ministry of Home Affairs on July 8, the top leader outlined key directions for improving the quality of Vietnam’s workforce, promoting sustainable employment in rural, urban and ethnic minority areas, and strengthening human resource development to support the country’s next stage of growth.

He said Vietnam should move beyond measuring labour market performance solely by employment rates and instead focus on the quality of jobs and the contribution of workers to productivity and national competitiveness.

“The question is not simply how many people are employed, but whether those jobs are formal, sustainable, productive and generate higher value,” he stated.

According to the top Party and State leader, a modern labour market should also be assessed by workers’ skills, opportunities for lifelong learning, ability to adapt to changing labour demands and access to social protection.

Raising the value of rural employment

General Secretary and State President To Lam stressed that creating steady jobs should begin at the local level, particularly in rural areas, by increasing the value of traditional occupations and developing new economic models.

He called for agriculture to move away from low-value, labour-intensive production towards high-value farming based on technology, green agriculture, circular economy practices, quality standards and product traceability, supported by processing industries, logistics and e-commerce.

Alongside agricultural transformation, he urged greater investment in rural industries, craft villages, agro-processing, mechanical services, transport, trade and renewable energy. He also highlighted the need to expand cooperative models, household businesses, value-chain linkages and rural entrepreneurship to create higher-quality employment opportunities.

The goal, he said, is not merely to generate more jobs but to create better jobs that provide higher incomes and enable people to build stable livelihoods in their hometowns.

Sustainable employment for ethnic minority people

Addressing employment in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, the top leader described these regions as strategically important for socio-economic development, national defence, environmental protection and national unity.

He noted that although local labour resources remain significant, many workers continue to face barriers in education, vocational skills, labour market information, access to training, finance and employment services.

Developing sustainable employment in these regions, therefore, should be viewed not only as a labour policy but also as an integral part of ethnic affairs, poverty reduction and human development strategies.

Vocational training, he pointed out, must be tailored to the strengths and practical conditions of each locality rather than applying a uniform model nationwide.

Priority should be given to sectors such as specialty agriculture, forestry-based livelihoods, medicinal plants, livestock farming, traditional handicrafts, community-based tourism, border trade and e-commerce for local products.

He also called for stronger connections between workers, businesses, cooperatives and production facilities to improve technology transfer, market access, product branding and stable market outlets.

Developing skills for long-term competitiveness

Another priority identified by General Secretary and State President To Lam is a fundamental shift in Vietnam’s approach to human resource development.

He called for the establishment of a national skills development system capable of preparing the workforce not only for current labour market needs but also for future economic transformation.

Human resource development, he said, should become a shared responsibility of the State, educational institutions, businesses and local authorities.

Training should move beyond traditional degree-oriented education towards competency-based learning, aligning programmes more closely with labour market demand, occupational standards and measurable learning outcomes.

According to the top leader, building a highly skilled workforce will be essential to improving Vietnam’s productivity, strengthening national competitiveness and ensuring sustainable development in the years ahead.

As Vietnam advances its industrialisation, digital transformation and international integration, he stated, investing in human capital will become one of the country's most important strategic priorities.

Vietnam's labour market remains on solid footing in H1

The labour market maintained its recovery and stable growth in the first half of 2026, with the employment figure rising to 52.6 million, up 672,500 from a year earlier, and unemployment and underemployment staying at low levels, reported the National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Finance.