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REGIONAL MINIMUM WAGE IN 2026 AND DRAFT DECREE ON THE CONCLUSION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF ELECTRONIC LABOR CONTRACTS (“ELC”)

On November 10, 2025, the Government issued Decree No. 293/2025/ND stipulating the regional minimum wage for employees working under labor contracts, effective from January 1, 2026.

The Draft Decree on the conclusion and implementation of electronic labor contracts was announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs in October 2025 – establishing a legal foundation for the digitalization of the processes of signing, managing, and storing labor contracts.

3.1 Regional minimum wage under Decree 293 increased significantly

  • Increased by 250,000 – 350,000 VND/month compared to Decree 74/2024/ND-CP.
  • Average increase of about 7.2%.

In addition, Decree 293 also changes the regional classification for applying minimum wages based on commune-level administrative boundaries, in order to apply accurately to new areas since district-level administrative boundaries no longer exist.

3.2 Draft Decree on the conclusion and implementation of electronic labor contracts is under public consultation, with several notable points as follows:

Legal validity: Electronic labor contracts (ELC) have the same legal validity as paper contracts and cannot be denied simply because they are presented in electronic data form. Paper contracts remain valid and only need to be converted into electronic form when amended.

Management and storage: The signing of ELCs will be carried out on a national platform managed by the Ministry of Home Affairs, using electronic identification from the national database to ensure safety and authenticity. The system will centrally store contracts and allow state agencies to access and manage the data.

Requirements for employers and employees: (i) Must have an electronic identification account in accordance with the law on electronic identification and authentication; (ii) Must have a valid digital signature certificate issued by a digital signature certification authority, or another legally recognized electronic signature