2023-2024 marked the explosive rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
And with the widespread layoffs because of economic volatility, it makes us wonder:
Can AI replace some roles in the IT industry?
Or it just creates new job opportunities?
To provide a detailed analysis of the influence of AI on the Vietnamese IT job market, VietnamWorks inTECH, the IT recruitment brand under VietnamWorks - Navigos Group, has released “Human Resources & Recruitment Trends in the IT Industry Amidst the Artificial Intelligence Surge of 2024 - 2025".
This comprehensive report is based on a survey of 2,000 IT professionals and businesses in Vietnam.
Here are the key findings and trends for 2024-2025.
Post-Layoff Recovery and Job Market Dynamics
60% of IT personnel laid off in 2023 have yet to find new jobs in 2024
IT personnel continue to be significantly impacted by the aftermath of layoffs, as nearly 60% of those laid off in the previous year have still not found new employment in 2024. This figure is approximately 1.5 times higher compared to the corresponding rate for IT personnel who voluntarily left their jobs in 2023.
IT workers are increasingly willing to take on heavier workloads to secure new positions
To find new jobs quickly, many IT professionals are willing to consider taking on heavier workloads and multitasking. This figure has increased by 10% compared to the previous year, indicating the increasing competitiveness of the job market.
Threads becomes a new source for job seeking and recruitment
Although the social network Threads is relatively new, 4.4% of IT professionals use it to search for jobs, and 2.4% of companies reported using it to reach out to candidates.
In-Demand Roles and Skills
Product Owners and Product Managers are the most challenging positions to fill
Based on a survey of recruiters, Product Owners/Product Managers are the most difficult positions to fill, accounting for 25.6% of total responses. Most companies believe that this position is difficult to fill because candidates do not meet the required qualifications.
AI Engineers have become one of the top 15 most in-demand IT roles
The survey also notes that AI Engineer has entered the Top IT Job Positions and ICT Job Positions that are regularly recruited by companies, ranking 14th and 15th respectively.
Python has seen a significant increase in popularity, likely due to its importance in AI development
The most notable highlight this year is the breakthrough of Python, rising to second place in both rankings. One of the reasons that can be mentioned is the strong development of artificial intelligence and the important role of Python in this field.
AI Integration in the Workplace
The vast majority of IT professionals are now using AI tools in their work, with many using them daily
More than 80% of IT professionals surveyed reported using AI to support their work, with nearly 60% of them using it on a daily basis.
AI chatbots have become the second most popular resource for coding solutions, surpassing traditional platforms
In the second position, surpassing Stack Overflow (16.5%), are AI Chatbot tools such as ChatGPT or Gemini with 26.2%.
AI is primarily used for code writing, debugging, and code improvement in IT work
When asked, "How does AI tools assist you in tasks RELATED to coding?", the majority of IT professionals surveyed responded that they use AI to assist in writing code, followed by debugging/fixing bugs, and improving/restructuring code.
AI Learning Trends
A significant portion of IT professionals are either currently learning about AI or planning to do so
43.7% of IT professionals surveyed are currently learning more about artificial intelligence. At the same time, up to 38% express an intention to receive further training in this field in the future.
Online courses are the preferred method for learning AI skills
Nearly half of those interested in learning AI choose reputable platforms like Udemy, Coursera, or Pluralsight.
The main challenges in learning AI include lack of foundational knowledge and difficulty finding suitable resources
Around 20% of the total responses from survey participants agree that a lack of foundational knowledge is the biggest barrier when learning AI. Additionally, 17.7% encounter difficulties in finding suitable learning resources.
AI in Recruitment
A substantial number of businesses are now incorporating AI into their recruitment processes
Up to 41.2% of businesses have reported that they are implementing AI, indicating that AI is gradually finding its place in the recruitment process.
Many companies are prioritizing candidates with AI skills in their hiring decisions
More than 50% of businesses prioritize hiring personnel with skills in using AI tools.
AI specialists can command significantly higher salaries compared to other IT roles
43.7% believe that a salary increase of 10% to 20% is higher, while 18.4% believe that a salary increase of 20% to 50% is higher. This clearly reflects the increasing value and demand for AI personnel.
Outlook and Challenges
Backend and Frontend Developers remain the most in-demand roles for future hiring
Backend / Frontend Developer is the position that the business plans to recruit the most (22.5%), followed by Product Owner / Product Manager / Project Manager (15.7%).
Many businesses plan to increase IT salaries and benefits compared to the previous year
Up to 49.7% of surveyed companies reported that the Salary and Benefits in their IT recruitment have slightly increased compared to 2023.
It's challenging to find candidates with the right skills and experience in this AI revolution
Feedback indicates the biggest challenge in recruiting AI personnel is finding candidates with the right skills and experience (46%), showing a high demand for AI talent with deep expertise, while the supply of candidates meeting the requirements is limited.
As the IT industry in Vietnam continues to evolve, both professionals and businesses are adapting to the AI-driven landscape. Success in the coming years will depend on upskilling in AI technologies, maintaining flexibility in job roles, and leveraging new platforms for job searches and recruitment.
You can read the full “Human Resources & Recruitment Trends in the IT Industry Amidst the Artificial Intelligence Surge of 2024 - 2025" report here.