Vietnam

Vietnam Net - E | English | News | Nov. 7, 2025 | Regulation

During the October 30 parliamentary discussion on Vietnam’s socio-economic situation, Deputy Nguyen Thien Nhan proposed raising the retirement age to 65, arguing it could add over 5 million workers to support double-digit economic growth. He also called for efforts to increase the country’s fertility rate from 1.91 to 2.1 by 2035. This proposal sparked debate due to its potential impact on labor structure, social welfare, employment quality, and public health amid Vietnam’s rapidly aging population.

Currently, by the 2019 Labor Code, retirement age is being gradually increased to 62 for men by 2028 and 60 for women by 2035. Deputy Truong Xuan Cu cautioned against a swift increase to 65, noting that Vietnam has yet to fully implement the current retirement age changes and that only a few countries set retirement ages that high. He stressed the importance of careful policy assessment to avoid negative effects on job opportunities for younger workers and suggested extensions might be appropriate only for certain sectors such as education, medicine, and research based on strong evidence.

Deputy Hoang Van Cuong highlighted the rise in life expectancy and improved health as reasons some older adults remain capable of working longer, aligning with trends in other aging societies embracing a "silver economy" where older individuals contribute actively to the workforce. However, he warned the policy must be flexible to account for the unsuitability of senior workers in labor-intensive roles and cautioned against rigid, universal retirement age increases. He also pointed out that Vietnam still has a relatively large young workforce that should be optimized before considering raising the retirement age beyond current plans.

BLawyers Vietnam | English | AcademicThink | Nov. 7, 2025 | UndeterminedLegal Exposure

As of October 2025, BLawyers Vietnam has published the second part of 72 official case law precedents critical for businesses and individuals. These precedents cover a wide range of legal issues including land use rights, termination of de facto marriages, consumer rights regarding arbitration clauses, validity of mortgage contracts on incompletely paid properties, statute of limitations on counterclaims, and criminal liabilities in cases such as attempted murder, obscenity against minors, and aggravated offenses involving weapons or endangered species.

Additional significant rulings address administrative decisions exceeding authority, property reclamation under enforceable judgments, ownership disputes of parking areas in apartment buildings, validity of unregistered land use donations, and annulment of unlawful marriages. Child custody, termination of adoption, commencement of child support obligations, judicial review of administrative decisions, and criminal aspects of human trafficking and kidnapping for ransom are also detailed within the precedents.

The case law includes clarifications on contract validity despite formal violations, disputes over grave relocation, lottery prize claim periods, and arbitration jurisdiction for commercial disputes involving confidentiality and non-compete agreements. Recent precedents clarify employment contract terminations involving non-specialized trade union officers, dismissal of lawsuits outside court jurisdiction, and determination of inherited land use rights when wills lack specific land area.

BLawyers Vietnam highlights its expertise in legal consultation, dispute resolution, legal risk assessment, and personal legal services based on these precedents, offering support to both corporate and individual clients in Vietnam and through international arbitration venues. The information provided is not official legal advice and BLawyers invites inquiries for further clarification.

Vietnam Net - E | English | News | Nov. 7, 2025 | UndeterminedWages and Compensation

Nguyen Quan, former Minister of Science and Technology, emphasized that salary alone is insufficient to retain scientists in Vietnam. Many provinces invite professors to return but fail to provide meaningful work, causing them to leave again. Despite longstanding policies like Resolutions 27, 20, and 29 aimed at talent development and retention, these have largely been ineffective. He highlighted Resolution 98, which permits high salaries for leaders of public research institutes, but noted no leader has accepted due to disparities with colleagues' pay and concerns about workplace dynamics.

Nguyen Quan outlined three key areas to improve talent attraction and retention in science and education. First, compensation must be practical and institutions should have operational autonomy to offer competitive salaries while government support covers investment costs. Second, strong leadership is essential; leaders must be visionary and genuinely care about staff, providing returning overseas scientists with responsibility and meaningful tasks. Third, talented scientists should receive autonomy over budgets and collaborations to ensure productive research environments. Without synchronized policies, engaged leadership, and supportive ecosystems, retaining talent remains challenging.

Associate Professor Huynh Quyet Thang, Director of Hanoi University of Science and Technology, noted the university’s recent efforts to recruit young lecturers and leading scientists in a major plan for 2025–2030, marking its largest talent recruitment initiative. While staff incomes have improved, the university remains bound by public sector pay constraints, limiting flexibility compared to private institutions. Thang agreed that aside from salary, factors such as working environment, recognition, and creative freedom are crucial to retaining young researchers.