Large investment in tech startups and the digital transformation are reasons for the high IT staff demand. Photo by Shutterstock/ProStockStudio.
The number of IT jobs in Vietnam has grown by 56 percent this year, the highest growth rate since 2015.
The number this year has reached 62,829, five times that of 2015, according to a report released on Friday by HCMC-based IT recruiting firm TopDev.
The strong growth is owed to the entry of many foreign IT companies looking for talent in the country, the report said.
Large investment in tech startups and the digital transformation of traditional tourism, agriculture and real estate firms are other reasons for the high demand, it said.
But finding all those people would be a challenge to employers, it warned, saying demand for IT staff this year is estimated at 350,000 and the country may see a shortfall of 90,000.
The reason for the high shortfall is the inadequate number churned out by training facilities, it said.
It cited data from the Ministry of Education and Training showing that the country produces only 50,000 IT graduates a year of whom only 30 percent can start working immediately while the rest need more training to be ready for jobs.
The low supply has resulted in a rise in salaries. A survey released with the report said IT industry salaries have risen by 15-18 percent in the first six months.
An experienced engineer earns an average of $1,322 a month, but those with experience in artificial intelligence (AI) could earn up to $2,102, the survey, which polled almost 45,600 IT staff and over 1,100 employers, said.
Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung said at a forum recently that the country needs another 50,000 information-communications technology firms to push its digital transformation.
The country wants to have five billion-dollar tech firms by 2025 and 10 by 2030.
