{ "title": "The Rising Rate of Women Participating in Vietnam’s Labor Force", "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/en/publications/fandd/issues/2018/09/female-labor-force-participation-in-vietnam-banerji", "canonical": "https://www.imf.org/en/publications/fandd/issues/2018/09/female-labor-force-participation-in-vietnam-banerji", "overlayPath": "/en/publications/fandd/issues/2018/09/female-labor-force-participation-in-vietnam-banerji/index.md", "summary": "Vietnam’s high female labor force participation rate outstrips the best performers among advanced Western economies.", "sections": [ { "heading": "Key findings: Vietnam and Asia-wide trends", "content": "- Vietnam’s female labor force participation is exceptionally high: \"Almost three-quarters of Vietnam’s female working-age population has been in the labor force for at least two decades.\"\n- Vietnam has maintained female labor force participation of \"some 70 percent for more than two decades.\"\n- Female labor force participation is \"trending up across Asia,\" with \"on average, female participation rates in Asia have increased by about 6 percentage points since 1990.\"\n- Asia accounts for \"60 percent of the world’s people,\" and the region is \"aging rapidly.\"\n- McKinsey Global Institute estimate cited: equality for women in the region could increase collective annual GDP by \"12 percent, or $4.5 trillion, by 2025.\"\n- Some Asian countries recorded large gains: \"Australia, Hong Kong SAR, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Singapore recorded significant gains—above 10 percentage points—over the past decade.\"\n- Some countries saw declines or stagnation: \"India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka\" show declining or stagnant participation; \"participation rates have also declined in China and Thailand, albeit from relatively high levels.\"" }, { "heading": "Drivers and mechanisms behind participation gains", "content": "- Demographics and aging:\n - Aging tends to lower participation for both men and women, but in Asia \"participation has improved for prime-age female workers—those 25–54 years of age.\"\n - Rising school enrollment delays entry into the workforce for younger workers.\n- Economic cycle:\n - \"Slower growth or recessions raise unemployment,\" leading some workers to drop out or delay entry; recent strong growth in Asia supported female participation.\n- Structural shifts and labor demand:\n - A \"larger service sector (including the public sector) relative to the industrial sector—and higher education levels—stand out as most closely associated with greater female labor force participation.\"\n - \"The openness of the economy (measured by the share of trade in GDP) and the pace of urbanization ... have positive but smaller effects on average.\"\n - Automation/routinization \"hurts female labor force participation in some countries,\" but not uniformly across Asia.\n- Social, institutional, and policy factors:\n - Important drivers include \"better infrastructure, more equal labor rights, low adolescent fertility rates, and the availability and affordability of child care, as well as cultural attitudes.\"\n - Family-friendly policies—maternity protection, child care, part-time employment—\"play a positive role\" but their effectiveness is limited by \"data gaps and the large informal sector\" and by varying \"institutional capacity to enforce legally mandated provisions.\"\n - \"Labor market rigidities that make it difficult for businesses to let go of workers can have a chilling effect on employers’ decisions to hire female workers.\"" }, { "heading": "Vietnam’s special case: historical and policy context", "content": "- Historical shock and labor supply:\n - The Vietnam War caused \"a sharp decline in the male population relative to the size of the female population, especially in the prime-age group.\"\n - The war’s impact \"jump-started female labor force participation,\" analogous to the U.S. experience after World War II.\n- Economic reforms and structural change:\n - \"Doi Moi reforms in 1986\" aimed to build a \"socialist-oriented market economy,\" encouraging private business, ending price controls, phasing out government enterprises, opening to trade, and prompting rapid urbanization.\n - As the economy grew after Doi Moi, \"the available supply of labor was predominantly female,\" and women \"stepped into the labor force in greater numbers.\"\n- Education and gender parity:\n - Vietnam implemented Education for All (EFA); \"The first EFA plan (1993−2000) emphasized gender equality for all levels of education.\"\n - \"Men and women graduate at roughly the same rate at the postsecondary level\" in Vietnam.\n - Vietnam is \"one of the few Asian countries to have succeeded in translating gender parity in educational attainment into gender equality in labor force participation rates.\"\n- Legal and family-policy framework:\n - Vietnam has \"generous family-friendly laws regarding child care and maternity\" and has \"strengthened its legal framework to guarantee equality and gender nondiscrimination.\"" }, { "heading": "Limitations, risks, and remaining gaps", "content": "- Recent gains may be cyclical: \"Recent successes have been partly the result of strong economic conditions, which may not be able to support female labor force participation once the economic cycle turns.\"\n- Structural headwinds: \"The forces of aging and digitization\" could reverse recent gains.\n- Remaining gender-equality issues beyond participation: \"pay gaps, high-level representation, and access to wage employment\" need improvement even in high-performing countries such as Vietnam.\n- Policy effectiveness constraints: effectiveness of family-friendly and equality laws depends on \"institutional capacity\" and is constrained by \"data gaps and the large informal sector.\"" }, { "heading": "Policy implications and recommendations", "content": "- Sustain strong economic growth to support female labor force participation.\n- Continue expanding access to high-quality education and preserve gender parity in educational attainment.\n- Implement and effectively enforce family-friendly policies (maternity protection, child care, part-time employment) tailored to country-specific constraints, recognizing enforcement capacity varies across countries.\n- Address labor market rigidities that deter hiring, including female hiring.\n- Spread successful policies and institutional practices across Asia while recognizing heterogeneity in development stage, labor market structure, and cultural norms.\n\nContent derived from: The Rising Rate of Women Participating in Vietnam’s Labor Force, F&D Magazine, September 2018.\n\n---\n\n Content in this bundle\n\n- المرأة الآسيوية في خضم العمل\n - المرأة الآسيوية في خضم العمل (Markdown version){rel=\"alternate\" type=\"text/markdown\"}\n - المرأة الآسيوية في خضم العمل (PDF){rel=\"external\" type=\"application/pdf\"}\n- Las mujeres asiáticas en el trabajo ● Finanzas y Desarrollo ● Septiembre de 2018\n - Las mujeres asiáticas en el trabajo ● Finanzas y Desarrollo ● Septiembre de 2018 (Markdown version){rel=\"alternate\" type=\"text/markdown\"}\n - Las mujeres asiáticas en el trabajo ● Finanzas y Desarrollo ● Septiembre de 2018 (PDF){rel=\"external\" type=\"application/pdf\"}\n- Asian Women At Work — As women advance in Asia’s labor force, Vietnam is a standout\n - Asian Women At Work — As women advance in Asia’s labor force, Vietnam is a standout (Markdown version){rel=\"alternate\" type=\"text/markdown\"}\n - Asian Women At Work — As women advance in Asia’s labor force, Vietnam is a standout (PDF){rel=\"external\" type=\"application/pdf\"}\n- アジアの働く女性たち、アンガナ・バナージ　アルブ・ヨンバラジ　サンディル・フラチュワヨ　アン・バン・レ著、ファイナンス＆ディベロップメント2018年9月号\n - アジアの働く女性たち、アンガナ・バナージ　アルブ・ヨンバラジ　サンディル・フラチュワヨ　アン・バン・レ著、ファイナンス＆ディベロップメント2018年9月号 (Markdown version){rel=\"alternate\" type=\"text/markdown\"}\n - アジアの働く女性たち、アンガナ・バナージ　アルブ・ヨンバラジ　サンディル・フラチュワヨ　アン・バン・レ著、ファイナンス＆ディベロップメント2018年9月号 (PDF){rel=\"external\" type=\"application/pdf\"}\n- Женщины Азии за работой – Финансы и развитие – сентябрь 2018 года\n - Женщины Азии за работой – Финансы и развитие – сентябрь 2018 года (Markdown version){rel=\"alternate\" type=\"text/markdown\"}\n - Женщины Азии за работой – Финансы и развитие – сентябрь 2018 года (PDF){rel=\"external\" type=\"application/pdf\"}\n- 亚洲职业女性 -《金融与发展》- 2018年9月号·第55卷·第3期 - 国际货币基金组织季刊\n - 亚洲职业女性 -《金融与发展》- 2018年9月号·第55卷·第3期 - 国际货币基金组织季刊 (Markdown version){rel=\"alternate\" type=\"text/markdown\"}\n - 亚洲职业女性 -《金融与发展》- 2018年9月号·第55卷·第3期 - 国际货币基金组织季刊 (PDF){rel=\"external\" type=\"application/pdf\"}\n- C2\n - C2 (Markdown version){rel=\"alternate\" type=\"text/markdown\"}\n - C2 (PDF){rel=\"external\" type=\"application/pdf\"}\n\n---\n\nSource: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/fandd/issues/2018/09/female-labor-force-participation-in-vietnam-banerji" } ], "bullets": [ "[Markdown version](/en/publications/fandd/issues/2018/09/female-labor-force-participation-in-vietnam-banerji/index.md)", "[Structured JSON version](/en/publications/fandd/issues/2018/09/female-labor-force-participation-in-vietnam-banerji/index.json)", "[Bundle manifest](/en/publications/fandd/issues/2018/09/female-labor-force-participation-in-vietnam-banerji/bundle-manifest.json)", "Authors: ANGANA BANERJI, SANDILE HLATSHWAYO, ALBE GJONBALAJ, ANH VAN LE", "Published: September 1, 2018", "Vietnam’s female labor force participation is exceptionally high: \"Almost three-quarters of Vietnam’s female working-age population has been in the labor force for at least two decades.\"", "Vietnam has maintained female labor force participation of \"some 70 percent for more than two decades.\"", "Female labor force participation is \"trending up across Asia,\" with \"on average, female participation rates in Asia have increased by about 6 percentage points since 1990.\"", "Asia accounts for \"60 percent of the world’s people,\" and the region is \"aging rapidly.\"", "McKinsey Global Institute estimate cited: equality for women in the region could increase collective annual GDP by \"12 percent, or $4.5 trillion, by 2025.\"", "Some Asian countries recorded large gains: \"Australia, Hong Kong SAR, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Singapore recorded significant gains—above 10 percentage points—over the past decade.\"", "Some countries saw declines or stagnation: \"India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka\" show declining or stagnant participation; \"participation rates have also declined in China and Thailand, albeit from relatively high levels.\"", "Demographics and aging:", "Economic cycle:", "Structural shifts and labor demand:", "Social, institutional, and policy factors:", "Historical shock and labor supply:", "Economic reforms and structural change:", "Education and gender parity:", "Legal and family-policy framework:", "Recent gains may be cyclical: \"Recent successes have been partly the result of strong economic conditions, which may not be able to support female labor force participation once the economic cycle turns.\"", "Structural headwinds: \"The forces of aging and digitization\" could reverse recent gains.", "Remaining gender-equality issues beyond participation: \"pay gaps, high-level representation, and access to wage employment\" need improvement even in high-performing countries such as Vietnam.", "Policy effectiveness constraints: effectiveness of family-friendly and equality laws depends on \"institutional capacity\" and is constrained by \"data gaps and the large informal sector.\"", "Sustain strong economic growth to support female labor force participation.", "Continue expanding access to high-quality education and preserve gender parity in educational attainment.", "Implement and effectively enforce family-friendly policies (maternity protection, child care, part-time employment) tailored to country-specific constraints, recognizing enforcement capacity varies across countries.", "Address labor market rigidities that deter hiring, including female hiring.", "Spread successful policies and institutional practices across Asia while recognizing heterogeneity in development stage, labor market structure, and cultural norms.", "**المرأة الآسيوية في خضم العمل**", "**Las mujeres asiáticas en el trabajo ● Finanzas y Desarrollo ● Septiembre de 2018**", "**Asian Women At Work — As women advance in Asia’s labor force, Vietnam is a standout**", "**アジアの働く女性たち、アンガナ・バナージ　アルブ・ヨンバラジ　サンディル・フラチュワヨ　アン・バン・レ著、ファイナンス＆ディベロップメント2018年9月号**", "**Женщины Азии за работой – Финансы и развитие – сентябрь 2018 года**", "**亚洲职业女性 -《金融与发展》- 2018年9月号·第55卷·第3期 - 国际货币基金组织季刊**", "**C2**" ], "related": [ { "title": "المرأة الآسيوية في خضم العمل", "role": "document", "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/publications/fandd/article/2018/september/ar/banerji.pdf", "summary": { "path": "/-/media/files/publications/fandd/article/2018/september/ar/banerji.pdf.md", "mime": "text/markdown" }, "binary": { "path": "/-/media/files/publications/fandd/article/2018/september/ar/banerji.pdf", "mime": "application/pdf" } }, { "title": "Las mujeres asiáticas en el trabajo ● Finanzas y Desarrollo ● Septiembre de 2018", "role": "document", "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/publications/fandd/article/2018/september/es/banerji.pdf", "summary": { "path": "/-/media/files/publications/fandd/article/2018/september/es/banerji.pdf.md", "mime": "text/markdown" }, "binary": { "path": "/-/media/files/publications/fandd/article/2018/september/es/banerji.pdf", "mime": "application/pdf" } }, { "title": "Asian Women At Work — As women advance in Asia’s labor force, Vietnam is a standout", "role": "document", "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/publications/fandd/article/2018/september/female-labor-force-participation-in-vietnam-banerji.pdf", "summary": { "path": "/-/media/files/publications/fandd/article/2018/september/female-labor-force-participation-in-vietnam-banerji.pdf.md", "mime": "text/markdown" }, "binary": { "path": "/-/media/files/publications/fandd/article/2018/september/female-labor-force-participation-in-vietnam-banerji.pdf", "mime": "application/pdf" } }, { "title": "アジアの働く女性たち、アンガナ・バナージ　アルブ・ヨンバラジ　サンディル・フラチュワヨ　アン・バン・レ著、ファイナンス＆ディベロップメント2018年9月号", "role": "document", "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/publications/fandd/article/2018/september/jp/banerji.pdf", "summary": { "path": "/-/media/files/publications/fandd/article/2018/september/jp/banerji.pdf.md", "mime": "text/markdown" }, "binary": { "path": "/-/media/files/publications/fandd/article/2018/september/jp/banerji.pdf", "mime": "application/pdf" } }, { "title": "Женщины Азии за работой – Финансы и развитие – сентябрь 2018 года", "role": "document", "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/publications/fandd/article/2018/september/ru/banerji.pdf", "summary": { "path": "/-/media/files/publications/fandd/article/2018/september/ru/banerji.pdf.md", "mime": "text/markdown" }, "binary": { "path": "/-/media/files/publications/fandd/article/2018/september/ru/banerji.pdf", "mime": "application/pdf" } }, { "title": "亚洲职业女性 -《金融与发展》- 2018年9月号·第55卷·第3期 - 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