Generative AI could transform millions of jobs in Viet Nam, new ILO brief shows

HA NOI (ILO News) - Around 11.5 million women and men in Viet Nam - one in five workers - are in occupations whose tasks are potentially exposed to generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), according to a new brief published today by the International Labour Organization (ILO) Country Office for Viet Nam.

The brief, Generative AI and Jobs in Viet Nam: Labour Market Exposure and Policy Considerations, finds that while GenAI-related changes are likely to be widespread, the more probable outcome is task transformation within jobs rather than large-scale displacement. Only around one million workers are in occupations where tasks are both highly susceptible to AI and standardised, implying that the risk of full automation affects a relatively small share of the workforce - less than two per cent, which is lower than in Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand.

The report shows that exposure is uneven across the labour market. Clerical support workers face the highest risk, with nearly two thirds employed in occupations most susceptible to GenAI-driven task automation. Financial and insurance services, wholesale and retail trade, and information and communication are among the sectors with the highest exposure rates. Geographically, workers in Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang account for more than a third of all potentially affected jobs nationwide.

The brief also highlights a significant gender gap. Women are more likely than men to be in jobs exposed to GenAI, with an exposure rate of 24.1 per cent compared to 17.8 per cent for men. Even after accounting for differences in education, occupation and other characteristics, women remain significantly more exposed. This reflects the concentration of female employment in clerical, administrative and service roles where GenAI applications are more readily applicable due to highly standardized, documentation-intensive tasks.

The implications are twofold. In sales occupations with high employment levels, where women make up around two thirds of the workforce, GenAI could augment productivity and improve job quality. In routine clerical roles, however, the risk of task displacement is more acute, with potential consequences for a category of work that provides comparatively stable and formal employment for many women.

Despite growing global concern about AI-related job losses, the report finds no clear evidence so far of declining employment opportunities for young, highly educated workers in sectors with high GenAI exposure in Viet Nam during the period of 2022-2024. On the contrary, employment in highly exposed service sectors has continued to expand in recent years, suggesting that labour demand remains resilient as AI adoption is still at an early stage.

The brief calls for coordinated action across the Government, employers and workers and other key stakeholders. Priority areas include reinforcing AI governance and institutional capacity, with attention to gender equality and non-discrimination; strengthening labour market information systems to track AI's evolving impacts; promoting responsible AI adoption through social dialogue at the workplace level; supporting small and medium enterprises in combining productivity gains with decent work; and investing in gender-responsive skills development and active labour market programmes for the most exposed groups.

ILO Country Director for Viet Nam, Ms Sinwon Park said:

Viet Nam has a significant opportunity to harness generative AI as a driver of productivity and decent work. However, the benefits and risks will not be evenly distributed, with women facing higher levels of exposure than men. Getting this transition right requires deliberate action now: reinforcing AI governance in line with labour standards, investing in people's skills, ensuring workers have a voice in how AI is introduced in their workplaces, supporting SMEs in responsible AI adoption, and putting in place the protections needed to ensure technological change is fair and inclusive."

As Viet Nam advances its digital transformation agenda, proactive and inclusive policies will be essential to ensure that the benefits of generative AI are widely shared and that no workers are left behind.