In 2023, over 13.8 million people worked in the agriculture, forestry, and fishing sector in Vietnam, making this sector the largest employer among all industries. By comparison, the manufacturing industry employed approximately 11.9 million people, making it the second-highest employed population that year.
Employment shift: from agriculture to non-agriculture sectors
Although agriculture was still the sector employing the most people in Vietnam, the workforce in this sector has been shrinking fast across the last decade. At the same time, other sectors that are the main driving forces behind the reformed Vietnamese economy have been benefiting from this employment trend. For instance, the manufacturing sector’s share of total employment has been growing in recent years, reaching over 21 percent in 2022, compared to under 14 percent at the beginning of the decade.
Vietnam’s export-oriented economy
Since its economic reform at the end of the 1980s, Vietnam has positioned itself as an export-oriented economy. This has come hand in hand with the mentioned employment shift, as the manufacturing sector has been responsible for the majority of the country’s most important export commodities, such as mobile phones, electronics, and textiles. On the other hand, coming from an economy previously highly dependent on agriculture, products from this sector, namely timber and aquaculture products, have also contributed to Vietnam’s export income.
Number of employed people in Vietnam in 2023, by industry
(in 1,000s)
According to the source, under ICLS19 standard, people working for the purpose of producing self-sufficient products in the agriculture, forestry, and fishery sectors will not be identified as employed.
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General Statistics Office of Vietnam. (June 29, 2024). Number of employed people in Vietnam in 2023, by industry (in 1,000s) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved October 15, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/615802/employment-by-industry-vietnam/
General Statistics Office of Vietnam. "Number of employed people in Vietnam in 2023, by industry (in 1,000s)." Chart. June 29, 2024. Statista. Accessed October 15, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/615802/employment-by-industry-vietnam/
General Statistics Office of Vietnam. (2024). Number of employed people in Vietnam in 2023, by industry (in 1,000s). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: October 15, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/615802/employment-by-industry-vietnam/
General Statistics Office of Vietnam. "Number of Employed People in Vietnam in 2023, by Industry (in 1,000s)." Statista, Statista Inc., 29 Jun 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/615802/employment-by-industry-vietnam/
General Statistics Office of Vietnam, Number of employed people in Vietnam in 2023, by industry (in 1,000s) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/615802/employment-by-industry-vietnam/ (last visited October 15, 2024)
Number of employed people in Vietnam in 2023, by industry (in 1,000s) [Graph], General Statistics Office of Vietnam, June 29, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/615802/employment-by-industry-vietnam/