Vietnamese workers saw their average monthly income rise to VND 8.3 million in Q1 2025, an increase of 9.5 percent compared to the same period last year. Gains were recorded across all sectors, despite a slight drop in labour force participation and a continued high number of informal workers, according to a press release from Vietnam’s General Office of Statistics.

Key takeaways include:

Average monthly income: VND 8.3 million
Highest sectoral income growth was in waste management (+12 percent), electricity and utilities (+10.9 percent) and agriculture (+9.8 percent)
Labour force: 52.9 million (up 532,000 year-on-year)
Employed workers: 51.9 million
Labour force participation rate: 68.2% (down 0.8 points from previous quarter)
Informal employment: 33.4 million (64.3% of total employment)
Unemployment rate (working-age): 2.2%
Youth unemployment: 7.93%
Underemployment rate: 3.9% (2.05 million people)

The rise in average incomes reflects improving labour productivity and sectoral recovery, especially in utilities, agriculture and services. However, the persistently high rate of informal employment and underemployment signals a dual-track economy where many workers remain excluded from formal protections and benefits.

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