Vietnam public sector and enterprise wage management

The Vietnam Ministry of Home Affairs has initiated several measures to reform and monitor wage structures. Initially, Minister Nguyen Tien Hai announced a collaboration with the Central Organization Commission to develop a new salary scheme based on a job-position framework. This reform is intended to serve as a foundation for staffing allocations for the 2027–2031 period and aims to address salary and allowance issues for public employees, particularly at the commune level. Financial projections suggest that approximately 48.5 trillion VND will be allocated in late 2026, including an increase in the base salary for over 2.2 million officials and civil servants.

To support these reforms and ensure social stability, the Ministry issued a directive requiring provincial and municipal departments to submit comprehensive reports by November 25, 2026. These reports must detail wages, bonuses, wage debts, and labor relations across four enterprise categories: 100% state-owned limited liability companies, enterprises with controlling state capital, private enterprises, and foreign-invested enterprises.

Local authorities are tasked with coordinating with industrial zone management boards and labor unions to monitor employment and worker livelihoods. The reporting mandate seeks to provide the state with timely data to manage labor relations and proactively prevent disputes or strikes ahead of the 2027 Lunar New Year (Tet). This includes tracking actual 2026 wages alongside projected bonus levels for both the New Year and the upcoming Tet holiday.