AI adoption is most concentrated in business and sales, marketing, communications, advertising, and IT and software. These sectors, along with finance, accounting and internal audit, are seen as the most exposed to downsizing or early replacement as companies automate standardized tasks.

A separate report by job platform Joboko, released in December 2025, points to a similar trend. Layoffs are no longer limited to the technology sector but are spreading across banking and large domestic enterprises. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, banks and major companies cut an estimated 400 to 1,600 jobs, equivalent to 10 to 15% of staff. Many firms have also reassigned repetitive work such as administrative processing, customer service, and basic content and marketing tasks to AI systems.

This shift mirrors global developments. Morgan Stanley forecasts that by 2030, European banks could eliminate more than 200,000 jobs as AI adoption accelerates and physical branches close, cutting about 10% of the workforce across 35 major banks. Roles most at risk include office administration, risk management and compliance.

Despite these changes, Pham Ngoc Toan, deputy director of the Institute of State Organizational and Labor Sciences under the Ministry of Home Affairs, said AI will not fully replace office workers. Each job consists of multiple tasks, and AI can only automate certain standardized processes.

Tasks such as data entry, document reconciliation, file classification and scripted customer service are the easiest to automate. When used effectively, AI can increase productivity and allow workers to handle multiple roles. Decision-making, cross-department coordination and complex problem-solving remain difficult to replace.

"AI does not cause mass unemployment, but it fundamentally changes how people work," Toan said. "It reduces repetitive manual tasks while forcing workers to continuously upgrade their skills."

In contrast, technical and blue-collar workers, particularly those with experience, are increasingly sought after as manufacturing expands. Nearly 70% of surveyed companies plan to increase hiring, with about half reporting significant recruitment growth. However, employers face shortages, with 47% citing a lack of experienced candidates and 42% pointing to skills gaps.

Manufacturers are responding by focusing on wages, bonuses, benefits, job stability and clearer labor contracts to attract and retain workers.

Joboko's survey shows construction leading hiring demand this year, with projected growth of 55% compared with the same period in 2025. Legal services follow at nearly 50%, manufacturing at 46%, and architecture and interior design at over 35%.

According to Toan, sectors such as food processing, beverages, electronics and garments continue to create jobs, while export-oriented wood processing faces greater challenges. Large-scale housing, urban development, and expressway projects are also supporting construction employment and driving growth in related industries such as steel, cement and building materials.

Looking ahead to 2026, recruitment platforms expect AI adoption and new tax policies to further reshape hiring strategies. TopCV predicts companies, especially in e-commerce and cross-border trade, will prioritize selective hiring over mass recruitment. About 52% of firms plan to maintain current staffing levels while improving efficiency.

Among planned hires, 47% of companies are targeting business and sales roles, followed by marketing and communications at 8%, customer service at 6%, and research and product development at 4%. In IT and software, employers are prioritizing web developers, back-end developers and AI engineers.

Despite the rise of AI, employers still value practical skills and experience most. Professional expertise and work experience were cited by 65% and 63% of recruiters, while only 8% said AI skills are a decisive factor in hiring decisions, for now.

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License number: 71/GP-CBC, Ministry of Information andCommunications, September 22, 2021

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