Data Sources
2
ILO / WB / OECD coverage
🇻🇳 Asia-Pacific
Viet Nam
An ILO EPLex composite of 0.535 places Viet Nam among moderate-protection jurisdictions on the 0-1 scale.
ILO EPLex B-READY 2025
0.535 ILO EPLex composite (0–1)
Viet Nam's statutory protection against unfair dismissal is moderate - an ILO EPLex composite of 0.535 on the 0–1 scale, stronger than 84% of the 95 rated countries. Data is compiled from 2 official sources (ILO EPLex, World Bank B-READY 2025), covering statutory notice periods, severance pay, and dismissal procedures.
Viet Nam - the verdict
Viet Nam's statutory protection against unfair dismissal is moderate - an ILO EPLex composite of 0.535 on the 0–1 scale, stronger than 84% of the 95 rated countries.
- 0.535
- ILO EPLex composite (0–1)
- 84th
- percentile, protection
- 69.6/100
- B-READY labor quality
Sources: ILO EPLex · World Bank B-READY 2025. Higher = stronger statutory protection.
How we calculate this percentile
We sort every country with a published ILO EPLex composite score (95 in total) from lowest to highest. Viet Nam's position in that sorted list gives its percentile: round((countries at or below its score ÷ 95) × 100). A higher percentile means stronger statutory dismissal protection relative to the full 95-country set, not a comparison to any single peer country.
Viet Nam carries moderate employment protection scores across the 2 international datasets we track (Asia-Pacific). The ILO EPLex composite (2017) stands at 0.535/1.0. B-READY 2025 labor regulation quality is 69.6/100. Statutory notice rules apply across 7 tenure tiers.
What the Data Shows for Viet Nam
Asia-Pacific. Covered by 2/3 tracked datasets. The most recent ILO EPLex composite score is 0.535 out of 1.0 (2017), summarizing statutory termination rules into a single index. B-READY 2025 labor score: 69.6/100, moderate.
Statutory notice periods in Viet Nam scale with tenure across 7 tiers, reaching 1.5 months at 20 years of service. Severance pay can reach 10 months of salary at 20 years, while redundancy-specific pay is 20 months. The maximum probation period allowed by law is 1 month, defining how long employers can assess workers under reduced protection. Dismissal process: ~4.5 weeks, middling. No 3rd-party approval required for individual dismissal.
Labor disputes here resolve relatively quickly, averaging 0.0 months through formal channels. Labor disputes are relatively frequent here: 16.7% of firms surveyed by the World Bank report one, well above the typical share. Employer social contributions are substantial here, 13.2% of salary, a significant cost layer beyond base pay. The EPLex redress/reinstatement sub-indicator is 0.750/1.0, reflecting how strong remedies are when a dismissal is ruled unlawful. 6 peer comparisons below.
How to read the three measurement scales
These figures draw on three different measurement traditions, so read each one on its own terms before comparing across countries. The ILO EPLex composite condenses statutory termination rules into a single index from zero to one, where higher numbers mean stronger legal protection against dismissal. The World Bank Business Ready 2025 labor score runs from zero to one hundred and blends the quality of regulation with how well public services and dispute processes actually work in practice. The OECD employment protection index uses a zero to six scale and only covers member economies, but it offers the longest historical series, which makes it the better choice for tracking reform over time. A country can score strictly on paper yet still process dismissals quickly, so always weigh the statutory index against the practical estimates. Where a country appears in fewer than all three datasets, treat the missing measures as not yet collected rather than as a sign of weak protection, and revisit this page when new releases are published because indicators can shift year over year.
Region
Asia-Pacific
Geographic grouping
Latest Year
2025
Most recent indicator update
Viet Nam vs. every rated country
Where Viet Nam's ILO EPLex composite sits among all 95 countries with a composite score.
Viet Nam - ILO EPLex composite
Worker-protection strength against unfair dismissal (0–1 scale)
0.53 Top 16% higher than 84% of 95 rated countries
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more rated countries. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source ILO EPLex composite (0–1 scale) · 2017
Viet Nam EPLex composite 53.5%
Out of a 1.0 maximum. Higher = stronger statutory protection against dismissal.
ILO EPLex (2017)
0.535
out of 1.0 · Rank #16
B-READY 2025
69.6
out of 100 · Rank #31
OECD EPL
-
No data available
ILO EPLex
Termination Protection Breakdown (2017)
Prohibited Grounds for Dismissal 0.500
Probation Period 0.960
Procedural Requirements 0.500
Notice Periods 0.310
Severance Pay 0.112
Redundancy Pay 0.429
Redress / Reinstatement 0.750
Scale: 0 = no protection · 1 = maximum protection. Source: ILO EPLex 2017.
Max probation period: 1 months
Notice Periods by Tenure
| Tenure | Notice Period |
|---|---|
| 6 months | 1.5 months |
| 9 months | 1.5 months |
| 2 years | 1.5 months |
| 4 years | 1.5 months |
| 5 years | 1.5 months |
| 10 years | 1.5 months |
| 20 years | 1.5 months |
Source: ILO EPLex ILO EPLex Notice period is the legally mandated advance notice before termination
Severance and Redundancy Pay by Tenure
| Tenure | Severance | Redundancy |
|---|---|---|
| 6 months | 0 mo | 2 mo |
| 9 months | 0 mo | 2 mo |
| 2 years | 1 mo | 2 mo |
| 4 years | 2 mo | 4 mo |
| 5 years | 2.5 mo | 5 mo |
| 10 years | 5 mo | 10 mo |
| 20 years | 10 mo | 20 mo |
Values in salary-months. Source: ILO EPLex. Severance = individual dismissal. Redundancy = collective/economic dismissal.
B-READY 2025
Labor Regulation Quality
Regulation Quality
76.8
out of 100
Public Services
69.5
out of 100
Efficiency
62.6
out of 100
Notice Required
Yes
Severance Required
Yes
Weeks to Dismiss
4.5
Weeks Severance
8.2
Firms in Disputes
16.7%
Months to Resolve
0.0
Social Contributions
13.2%
3rd Party for Dismissal
Not required
Source: World Bank Business Ready 2025 World Bank Business Ready 2025 Pillar scores are 0-100 (higher = better regulation quality)
Compare Viet Nam With...
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the employment protections in Viet Nam?
ILO EPLex termination protection composite score: 0.535/1.0 (2017); World Bank B-READY labor regulation quality: 69.6/100; 7 notice period tiers defined by law; 7 severance/redundancy pay tiers. (2 sources.)
How does Viet Nam compare to the OECD average?
No OECD data; ILO EPLex composite 0.535/1.0 instead.
What notice period and severance pay does Viet Nam require?
up to 1.5 months notice (20 years); severance up to 10 months (20 years); notice mandated; severance mandated.
What data sources cover Viet Nam's employment laws?
2 sources: ILO EPLex; World Bank B-READY 2025.
How strict are dismissal protections in Viet Nam?
EPLex 2017: moderately strict (0.535/1.0); max probation 1mo; 3rd-party approval not required; dismissal ~4.5 weeks.
How does Viet Nam handle labor disputes?
disputes resolve in ~0.0mo; 16.7% of firms report one; social contributions 13.2% of salary; EPLex redress indicator 0.750/1.0.
What to do with this
Use Viet Nam's scores as a comparison benchmark, not legal advice.
- Viet Nam sits above 84% of rated countries on statutory dismissal protection (ILO EPLex 0.535/1.0) - see exactly where it lands among all 95. View the rankings
- The three indices measure different things on different scales, compare Viet Nam side by side with another country before drawing a conclusion. Compare Viet Nam
- Read Viet Nam against its regional peers, the Asia-Pacific averages reveal the structural pattern. Asia-Pacific overview
These indices reflect the law as written, not how it is enforced, recent amendments, or the facts of any individual case. For a real decision, confirm the current statute and consult a qualified employment lawyer, see our disclaimer.
Related
Data sourced from official OECD, ILO, and World Bank employment-protection datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainEmploy Editorial
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from OECD, ILO, and World Bank labor market databases. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Primary sources: ILO EPLex, World Bank B-READY, OECD EPL.
PlainEmploy is rendered directly from the OECD Employment Protection Legislation indicators, the ILO EPLex database, and the World Bank B-READY labor pillar, no number is typed in by an editor. This country's composite scores and comparisons are computed directly from the underlying OECD/EPLex/B-READY tables, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-07-06.