2026 forecast: Dong Nai needs about 55,000 workers across sectors

Speaking at the talk show Connecting Labor Supply and Demand in Dong Nai Province 2025, held in early December, Deputy Director of the Department of Home Affairs Mai Xuan Tuan stated that, according to the 2026 forecast, once Long Thanh Airport officially goes into operation, the province’s labor market will continue to be vibrant, driving a sharp increase in recruitment demand across the province, estimated at around 55 thousand workers.

Sectors with high demand include manufacturing, information technology, automation, logistics, and renewable energy.

Workers of GPPD Energy Co., Ltd. (Becamex - Binh Phuoc Industrial Park, Chon Thanh ward) during production hours. Photo: Nguyen Hoa

According to the leadership of the Department of Home Affairs, in recent years, although the supply of workers with degrees and certificates in the province has increased significantly, the quality and practical skills of these workers remain uneven, and their ability to adapt to real-world working environments is still limited. Several training programs are not fully aligned with the production and business needs of enterprises, and the rate of graduates employed in jobs relevant to their field of study remains low, estimated at around 65%.

In addition, the supply of high-quality labor has yet to meet the development demands of high-tech industries, particularly in areas such as digital transformation, semiconductor technology, and automation. Meanwhile, the structure of vocational training still leans heavily toward traditional technical fields. This challenging reality presents an urgent need to restructure vocational training programs, strengthen the connection between educational institutions and businesses, and enhance labor market forecasting and workforce development planning to meet future employment demands.

In 2025 alone, the demand for new recruitment is projected to be around 150,000 workers, including 40% technical workers, 15% specialists and managers, and 45% unskilled labor. By the end of 2025, industrial parks are expected to face a labor shortage of over 35 thousand workers, the majority of whom will be unskilled.

By Nguyen Hoa – Translated by Minh Hanh, Minho