Vietnam’s National Assembly has approved sweeping administrative reforms that will slash nearly 80,000 state jobs, signalling one of the country’s most radical workforce transformations in decades. Recently, lawmakers voted overwhelmingly in favour of merging the current 63 provincial and city-level governments into just 34 entities. This comes amid broader cost-cutting efforts and a push to restructure state operations, including a February move that reduced ministries and agencies from 30 to 22, resulting in 23,000 job losses.
Described by Home Affairs Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra as the “biggest-ever revolution since the country was founded,” the reforms mark a dramatic departure from Vietnam’s longstanding model of guaranteed public employment. With 79,339 civil servants expected to face retirement, reassignment, or job loss, concerns are mounting among long-serving workers. One provincial official, facing redundancy after more than three decades of service, said he was “shocked and sad” despite compensation being offered.
The overhaul, led by Communist Party General Secretary To Lam, aims to shift governance from passive administration to active public service, aligned with the country’s ambitions for “fast, stable and sustainable development.” While residents like Nguyen Thang Loi voice mixed feelings about losing their province’s identity, the government is framing the change as essential for efficiency and economic growth.
With new leadership structures set to be implemented by 30 June, the reforms also include constitutional changes that will reduce the administrative hierarchy from three to two levels, eliminating the district level and expanding communes. The move is expected to impact thousands of local officials and reshape Vietnam’s public sector workforce landscape in the coming months.