Tet bonuses for workers in Nghe An: Are they enough to secure a stable home?

Light and dark colors

Currently, businesses and organizations have announced the Lunar New Year bonus for their employees for the year 2025 (Year of the Snake). Generally, the amounts are...Tet bonusThis year's ratings are considered high compared to previous years.

According to statistics from the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the average Tet bonus for businesses across the province in 2025 was 3.6 million VND per person, higher than in previous years. Similarly, in the Southeast Economic Zone, the average Tet bonus this year in businesses under this zone was approximately 5.2 million VND per person, 1 million VND more than last year's average. Besides the increase in the base salary leading to higher Tet bonuses, many believe that businesses are striving to improve salaries and bonuses to attract workers amidst the current labor shortage.

Although the overall picture is generally positive, the situation in specific businesses reveals contrasting realities. According to statistics from the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the highest bonus recorded was 74 million VND per person, while the lowest was 300,000 VND per person. This difference corresponds to contrasting business and production situations in these units.

For many businesses, 2024 is considered a year of recovery after a difficult period due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in a significant increase in the overall income of employees. Accordingly, the average salary of employees in state-owned enterprises is 8 million VND/month, in FDI enterprises is 6.5 million VND/month, and in non-state enterprises is 6.2 million VND/month. In some businesses, Tet bonuses for employees reached up to 5 months' salary per person.

Besides the units that have recovered and developed, the reality of difficulties in business and production has been recorded in many private enterprises, especially those in the transportation, construction, and livestock sectors. According to information from the Vinh City Labor Union, at the end of 2024, this unit had dissolved many grassroots trade unions in the business sector because they could not maintain operations, business and production were stagnant, and there were insufficient union members and workers. Notably, this included enterprises that were once very prominent in terms of both scale and number. Among the remaining units, many enterprises had to downsize, cut their workforce from thousands to hundreds, and maintain operations at a minimal level.

Sharing about the difficulties faced by some affiliated businesses, Ms. Tran Thi Nguyet – Vice President of the Trade Union of the Southeast Economic Zone – said: “Even in a few businesses, although they haven't officially announced closure, they no longer have orders to produce, no money to pay workers' salaries, and certainly no money for Tet bonuses – the situation is extremely dire. However, with the current recruitment needs, workers in these businesses can easily find new jobs; there is no concept of unemployment or languishing while waiting for businesses to recover.”

Seeking stability

In a market with so many options, it's difficult for workers to find stable employment and secure career development. Currently, in industrial zones alone, the demand for workers has reached 40,000 – nearly double the current workforce (the total workforce is 42,811). This figure foreshadows fierce competition in the labor market in the near future. This is why businesses are vying to impress workers with salaries, bonuses, and other incentives.

These days, in most businesses with a large workforce in the province, employee appreciation programs are being organized extensively with diverse activities, invested in terms of content, form, and value. Besides the legally mandated Tet bonus, employees have the opportunity to receive other valuable gifts and rewards through raffles and awards. “Workers can win motorbikes, refrigerators, air conditioners… after such events. However, all these gifts are awarded through raffles after Tet, as a way to retain employees and prevent them from quitting after the holiday,” shared Ms. Nguyen Thi Hien, a worker at a garment factory in the Bac Vinh Industrial Park.

Besides Tet bonuses and special events, just before the 2025 Lunar New Year, Luxshare ICT Nghe An Co., Ltd. – currently the company with the largest number of workers in the province – announced to all its employees a decision to increase salaries and allowances. Accordingly, the company adjusted the basic salary from 4,500,000 VND to 4,950,000 VND per month; and increased the housing allowance from 300,000 VND per month to 500,000 VND per month. The new salary and allowance policy will take effect from February 1, 2025. At the same time, a number of other businesses in the area also made similar announcements.salary increasewith a comparable price difference to remain competitive.

Nguyen Van Phu (born 1995), a worker at Luxhshare ICT Nghe An Co., Ltd., shared: “We understand that businesses are offering attractive benefits to attract and retain workers, and so are other businesses. Although this leads to workers constantly changing jobs and comparing benefits offered by different companies, it must be acknowledged that the benefits and status of workers have improved significantly. However, this also shows that the current general income level of workers is not yet sufficient to allow them to settle down.”

Having worked as a factory worker in Thai Nguyen for seven years, Mr. Phu asserts that, despite increases, the wage level and welfare benefits in Nghe An province are still not attractive enough compared to the labor market in other provinces and cities. Indeed, the phenomenon of "job hopping" after Tet (Lunar New Year) has long been considered an "inevitable" occurrence among workers. Many workers – especially young workers – have the mindset of working to receive Tet bonuses and then finding a better-paying job after the new year.

Sharing the same sentiment, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Tra (32 years old, a worker at WHA Industrial Park, Nghi Loc district) said: “My Tet bonus of one month's salary and a gift worth 300,000 VND is not enough to cover my necessary expenses during Tet. Although the basic salary was increased last year, it is still insufficient compared to the rising price of consumer goods and the overall cost of living. While I am hesitant to change jobs or environments, I am willing to find a new job with a higher income.”

Considered a period of rapid growth, the labor market from now until 2030 will be extremely volatile and competitive. Besides salary and bonus policies to retain employees, businesses need to develop long-term policies to attract workers. With the current average income, we are still unable to compete with other regions; workers cannot yet settle down and find stable employment, and the workforce cannot yet feel secure enough to dedicate themselves to their work.