Consistent hiring volumes projected as local market maintains growth in 2025

In 2024, Vietnam’s job market was moderately active, thanks to foreign firms that set up production sites in the country to enter the market or diversify their operations from China. The northern region saw a slew of megaprojects in electronics and semiconductors, while the south experienced a constant stream of smaller and mid-sized projects. Nevertheless, global supply chain disruptions and economic sluggishness tempered hiring volumes, and most companies hired only to fill vacant positions or as needed by their clients and expansion plans.

However, the hiring outlook remains positive as the sourcing and retail industries – key drivers behind the hiring market for supply chain, procurement and logistics talent – are still on the rise.

“Vietnam has built strong manufacturing capacities across furniture, home improvement, consumer electronics and goods, and more. This has contributed to the growth of sourcing entities in the country,” shares Trang Nguyen, Senior Manager at Robert Walters Vietnam. “Although retail didn’t progress as much as the industry hoped for this year, leading brands and chains are still committed to investing in the local market.”

Read on to find out more about Trang’s expectations for Vietnam’s labour market and hiring trends for Supply Chain, Procurement & Logistics professionals in 2025. 

Tackling the talent shortage and industry changes

Heading into 2025, the global economy is still plagued with many uncertainties, so companies will tread carefully with their headcount planning. However, the supply chain, procurement and logistics hiring market will remain fairly active given the agile nature of the function, with Trang foreseeing that hiring volumes could surge quickly depending on industry demands.

The biggest challenges that employers face in hiring are a shortage of qualified talents and high salary and benefits expectations that they are unable to meet. To cope with this, many will focus instead on talent retention and helping existing employees acquire the skillsets the business needs. They may also begin turning to skills-based hiring, taking on new employees who have the right skillsets even if they do not have some educational credentials.

Most of all, Trang states that employers will prefer candidates who are agile and have a “ready to get down to business” mentality. As some businesses continue restructuring, the industry will continue to need leaders who can lead and unite teams through these organisational changes. 

Companies value strategic, experienced candidates

In the year ahead, Trang states that employers will continue to seek out talent who have the valuable combination of strong communication skills, and a proven track record in operations optimisation and resource utilisation. They will also pay a premium for candidates who are strategic, as they value the ability to anticipate future business needs and carry out important tasks like building an agile supply chain. Problem solving, critical thinking, and data-driven decision making skills are also greatly sought after.

Roles that will see high demand include supply chain managers and directors, procurement managers and directors, and planning managers.

Check in on cultural fit and compensation 

“Supply chain, procurement and logistics candidates are generally open to hearing about new opportunities and many are keen to make a career move within the year. However, they tend to scrutinise the hiring company more carefully, looking into its financials, workplace culture, benefits and career development prospects,” Trang divulges. “They are most drawn to companies with inspiring colleagues and great work culture, and management that’s transparent and efficient.”

First impressions count for a lot now that candidates assess so many factors in their job hunt. Therefore, Trang says that it’s vital for companies to make a strong, professional impression from the first point of contact through to the end of the interview process. “Part of that is being transparent about your expectations about the role and how a candidate can meet those asks,” she adds.

Given that many employers struggle to find talent that meet all requirements, it is also advisable to take a skills-based approach to hiring – foregoing the lack of educational credentials as long as the candidate presents with the right skillsets.

Slight rise in salaries 

In 2025, salaries are expected to go up slightly. Talent at mid- to senior management level in enterprises with FDI investment will see increments between 5 – 7% on average.

Find out more

Request access to our 2025 Salary Survey to benchmark salaries and to find out more about key hiring trends in Vietnam.