Factory, Sales, Tech or Engineering: Which Vietnam Jobs Are Hardest to Fill in 2026?

When employers describe a role as "hard to fill," it means they are experiencing greater difficulty recruiting candidates who match what they need. It does not automatically mean the job pays the most, is easy to get, or has more openings than every other category. For candidates, however, it is a useful signal of where the right capabilities may be particularly valuable.

Where the difficulty actually is

According to Vietnam Employer Hiring Study 2026 (51 employers surveyed in March), the roles most commonly cited as hardest to find talent for were:

• Manufacturing engineers — 35%

• Sales and business development professionals — 35%

• Factory supervisors — 33%

• IT and AI specialists — 31%

• Accounting and finance roles — 16%

• Supply chain and logistics roles — 10%

A separate, later Reeracoen survey — the Vietnam Employer Hiring Study 2026 — found a broadly similar pattern, with operational/factory roles and sales and business development again ranking among the most difficult categories, alongside IT roles and, further down the list, admin and office management positions. These are two distinct surveys, conducted a few months apart with different employer samples, so the specific percentages shouldn't be blended into a single figure — but taken together, they point to a consistent story: production-floor and technical manufacturing roles, sales talent, and IT/AI specialists are the categories where Vietnam employers most often can't find enough of the right people. 

What "hard to fill" does and doesn't mean

Before going role by role, keep one distinction in mind.

"Hard to fill" means employers report difficulty finding candidates who match what they're looking for. It does not automatically mean these are the highest-paying roles, the fastest-growing category, the roles with the most total vacancies nationally, or that any candidate applying is guaranteed an offer. A role can be genuinely difficult to fill because the specific combination of skills required is narrow — not because there's a general shortage of people who could eventually be trained into it. Read what follows as "where employers say the gap is," not as a guaranteed shortcut to a job offer.

Manufacturing engineers and factory supervisors

Manufacturing engineers and factory supervisors both rank among the hardest roles to fill in Reeracoen's survey. For candidates, the useful signal is clear: employers report difficulty finding people who match these technical and operational roles.

What employers appear to struggle to find: engineers and supervisors who combine technical qualification with genuine floor-level experience — people who've actually run a process or managed a shift, not only studied the theory.

What to demonstrate: specific, named systems or processes you've worked with (not just "manufacturing experience"), any experience with quality standards or continuous-improvement methods, and comfort managing or coordinating a team under production pressure.

Transferable skills worth highlighting: experience in adjacent manufacturing sectors, quality or safety compliance background, or technical training even without direct supervisory experience.

Sales and business development

Commercial talent is consistently hard to find because the role requires a combination that's genuinely uncommon: relevant market or industry knowledge, an existing or buildable client network, and a track record of hitting numbers rather than simply managing relationships.

What employers appear to struggle to find: candidates who can point to measurable sales outcomes, not just relationship-building experience.

What to demonstrate: specific figures — revenue generated, accounts grown, deals closed — rather than a general description of client-facing responsibilities.

Transferable skills worth highlighting: experience in adjacent industries facing similar buyer profiles, language skills relevant to your target client base, and any experience building a pipeline from scratch rather than only managing existing accounts.

IT and AI specialists

IT and AI specialists also rank among the roles employers report greater difficulty filling.

For candidates, a practical way to strengthen an IT or AI profile is to show how technical skills were applied to a specific business problem rather than listing technologies in isolation.

What to demonstrate: concrete projects, ideally with a measurable business outcome, and comfort working directly with non-technical business teams.

Transferable skills worth highlighting: in Reeracoen's recruitment experience, self-directed learning through courses, certifications or personal projects can help demonstrate capability in a fast-moving technical field, provided you can explain clearly what you learned and applied.

Accounting, finance, supply chain and logistics

These ranked lower in both surveys but still appeared consistently enough to be worth noting. In Reeracoen's recruitment experience, employers in these categories tend to value demonstrated accuracy and process discipline, along with comfort with digital tools and reporting systems, over pure years-of-experience — though this is practical observation rather than a specific survey measure.

What this means for your job search

A few practical takeaways, regardless of which category applies to you:

1. Lead with specifics, not job titles. Across every category above, the recurring employer complaint isn't a lack of applicants — it's a lack of applicants who can point to specific, verifiable outcomes rather than general responsibilities.

2. Close a real gap, not a perceived one. If you're considering upskilling, prioritise the specific capability employers describe struggling to find in your target category (e.g., quality-system experience for manufacturing, measurable sales results for commercial roles) rather than generic credentials.

3. Don't assume "hard to fill" means "easy to get." Use the data as a guide to where to focus your preparation, while still demonstrating the specific capabilities each role requires.

4. Position transferable experience explicitly. If you're moving from an adjacent role or industry, spell out the connection for the employer rather than assuming it's obvious from your CV.

FAQ

What are the hardest jobs to fill in Vietnam in 2026?

According to Vietnam Employer Hiring Study 2026, manufacturing engineers and sales/business development roles are the two hardest-to-fill categories (both cited by 35% of surveyed employers), followed by factory supervisors (33%) and IT/AI specialists (31%).

Does "hard to fill" mean these are the highest-paying jobs in Vietnam?

Not necessarily. "Hard to fill" reflects a shortage of matching candidates relative to what employers need, not a ranking of pay or overall demand volume. Some hard-to-fill roles pay well; others simply require a narrow, uncommon combination of skills.

Is it easier to get hired if I apply for a hard-to-fill role?

Not automatically. These roles are difficult precisely because the specific skills required are less common — success still depends on demonstrating the exact capabilities employers describe struggling to find, not simply applying.

How can I position my experience for a hard-to-fill role if I don't have an exact match?

Focus on transferable, verifiable outcomes from adjacent experience and be explicit about how they connect to the target role, rather than assuming an employer will draw that connection on their own.

 

 

Related Articles

• Why Japanese-Speaking Engineers and Finance Professionals Are Vietnam's Hardest Roles to Fill — and What Actually Works

• What Vietnam's Manufacturing and Engineering Jobs Actually Pay: Real Salary Data by Role and Level

• The Most In-Demand Jobs in Vietnam in Late 2026: Where Are the Opportunities?

 

About the Author

Valerie Ong

Regional Head of Marketing, Reeracoen Group

Valerie leads content and market insights for Reeracoen across Asia. She works closely with Reeracoen's specialist recruitment consultants to translate hiring data, salary benchmarks and labour market trends into practical guidance for Vietnam's employers and professionals. Her work draws on Reeracoen's proprietary hiring, employer and worker research, alongside recruitment-market insights from Reeracoen's specialist consultants.

Language note: This article is published in English. Reeracoen Vietnam also publishes selected content in Vietnamese and Japanese for our local professional community.

References

• Vietnam Worker Sentiment Study 2026. Reeracoen Vietnam Co., Ltd. n=254 workers, 1H 2026. Published July 2026.
• Vietnam Salary Guide 2025. Reeracoen Vietnam Co., Ltd.
• Vietnam Employer Hiring Study 2026. Reeracoen Vietnam Co., Ltd.

Disclaimer: The information in this article is intended for general reference purposes only. It is based on Reeracoen Vietnam's proprietary research and should not be construed as legal, financial, or professional advice. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, Reeracoen Vietnam Co., Ltd. makes no representations or warranties regarding the completeness or accuracy of the information provided. Readers are advised to seek independent advice where appropriate. Reproduction or citation of survey data is permitted with appropriate attribution to Reeracoen Vietnam Co., Ltd.