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Expected Unemployment Support Calculator

Vietnam · 2026 tax year

How Unemployment Insurance Benefit (BHTN) Is Calculated in Vietnam (2026)

One-line answer: Under Vietnam's new Law on Employment, a worker who has paid unemployment insurance (bảo hiểm thất nghiệp, BHTN) for at least 12 months receives a monthly benefit of 60% of the average contribution salary of their last 6 months, capped at 5 times the regional minimum wage (26,550,000 VND in Zone I), for 3 to 12 months depending on how long they contributed.

Built by HAPRI, the Health and Agricultural Policy Research Institute, an independent public-policy research institute in Vietnam. Legal basis: Law on Employment 74/2025/QH15 (unemployment insurance / BHTN), effective 1 January 2026, replacing Law 38/2013/QH13 (Article 50); monthly benefit and 5× cap under Article 39, contribution-salary cap (20×) under Article 34.2; implemented by Decree 374/2025/ND-CP, with regional minimum wages set by Decree 293/2025/ND-CP. Published: 3 June 2026 · Last updated: 16 June 2026 · Law last verified: 16 June 2026 against the Ministry of Justice National Legal Portal (phapluat.gov.vn).

1. Quick answer

If you lose your job in Vietnam and have paid unemployment insurance for 12 months or more within the 24 months before your contract ended, you can claim a monthly unemployment benefit (trợ cấp thất nghiệp). The benefit is 60% of the average salary you contributed on over your last 6 months, but it cannot exceed 5 times the regional minimum wage for the zone where you worked (in Zone I that ceiling is 26,550,000 VND a month). You receive it for 3 months if you contributed 12 to 35 months, then one extra month for every additional 12 months of contribution, up to a maximum of 12 months. A worker who earned 12,000,000 VND a month and contributed for 48 months in Zone I receives 7,200,000 VND a month for 4 months, a total of 28,800,000 VND.

2. How the benefit is calculated, step by step

The calculator above runs exactly these steps. There are two independent results: how much you get each month, and how many months you get it for.

  1. Find your average contribution salary. Take the salary you actually paid BHTN on (your contribution-base salary, not necessarily your headline gross) for the last 6 months before your contract ended, and average it.
  2. Apply the 60% rate. The raw monthly benefit is 60% of that 6-month average.
  3. Apply the cap. The benefit cannot exceed 5 times the regional minimum wage of the zone where your last workplace sat. If 60% of your salary is above that ceiling, you receive the ceiling instead.
  4. Check eligibility. You must have contributed for at least 12 months within the 24 months before your contract ended (within 36 months if you were on a seasonal or short-term contract of 3 to under 12 months). Below 12 months, no benefit is payable.
  5. Work out the duration. The first 12 to 35 months of contribution earn 3 months of benefit. Every full 12 additional months of contribution beyond 36 adds 1 more month of benefit. The duration is capped at 12 months, which is reached at 144 months of contribution. Contribution time beyond 144 months is not retained toward a longer benefit.
  6. Total it up. The total benefit is the monthly amount multiplied by the number of benefit months.

The formula:

rawBenefit = 0.60 × (average contribution salary of last 6 months)
cap = 5 × regional minimum wage
monthlyBenefit= min(rawBenefit, cap)
benefitMonths = 0 if months < 12
= 3 if 12 ≤ months < 36
= 3 + floor((months − 36) / 12) if months ≥ 36 (capped at 12)
totalBenefit = monthlyBenefit × benefitMonths

Separately, while you are still employed, BHTN is funded by a monthly contribution split three ways: 1% from you (the employee), 1% from your employer, and up to 1% subsidised by the State, each calculated on your contribution salary. These contributions are what build your entitlement; they are not deducted from the benefit you later receive.

3. Rates, thresholds and parameters (2026)

All values below are the parameters the calculator uses, drawn from the Law on Employment 74/2025/QH15 and the 2026 regional minimum wages. They link to the authentic government text in Section 8.

Core benefit parameters

  • Benefit rate: 60% of the average contribution salary of the last 6 months · Law 74/2025/QH15 Art. 39 (formula carried from Law 38/2013/QH13 Art. 50)
  • Benefit cap: 5 × regional minimum wage of the workplace zone · Law 74/2025/QH15 Art. 39
  • Minimum contribution to qualify: 12 months within the 24 months before the contract ended · Law 74/2025/QH15
  • Lookback window (standard contracts): 24 months · Law 74/2025/QH15
  • Lookback window (3-to-under-12-month contracts): 36 months · Law 74/2025/QH15
  • First benefit step: 3 months of benefit for the first 12 to 35 months of contribution · Law 74/2025/QH15
  • Step size: +1 month of benefit per additional 12 months of contribution · Law 74/2025/QH15
  • Maximum benefit duration: 12 months · Law 74/2025/QH15
  • Contribution months retained: up to 144 (time beyond 144 is not carried forward) · Law 74/2025/QH15
  • First payout: 11th working day after the valid claim is filed · Law 74/2025/QH15 (was the 16th working day under Law 38/2013/QH13)

Monthly BHTN contribution while employed

  • Employee: 1% of contribution salary · Deducted from pay each month
  • Employer: 1% of contribution salary · Paid by the company
  • State: up to 1% of the fund's salary base · Budget subsidy

The BHTN contribution base itself is capped at 20 times the regional minimum wage (Article 34.2), which in Zone I works out to 106,200,000 VND a month. That cap matters for how much BHTN you pay in while working; the benefit you later receive is capped separately at 5 times the regional minimum wage (see the table above).

Contribution months to benefit months schedule

This is the duration ladder the calculator applies. Each step adds one month of benefit for every additional 12 months you contributed, after the flat first step.

  • Under 12: Not eligible
  • 12 to 35: 3
  • 36 to 47: 3
  • 48 to 59: 4
  • 60 to 71: 5
  • 72 to 83: 6
  • 84 to 95: 7
  • 96 to 107: 8
  • 108 to 119: 9
  • 120 to 131: 10
  • 132 to 143: 11
  • 144 and above: 12 (maximum)

2026 regional minimum wages and the resulting benefit cap

  • Zone I: 5,310,000 VND · 26,550,000 VND · Decree 293/2025/ND-CP
  • Zone II: 4,730,000 VND · 23,650,000 VND · Decree 293/2025/ND-CP
  • Zone III: 4,140,000 VND · 20,700,000 VND · Decree 293/2025/ND-CP
  • Zone IV: 3,700,000 VND · 18,500,000 VND · Decree 293/2025/ND-CP

Your zone is set by where your last workplace was located, not where you live. The map beside the calculator shows which provinces and cities fall in each zone.

4. Worked examples

Each example follows a real person through the full calculation. The figures are the exact output of the calculator above.

Example A: a factory worker in Bac Ninh between jobs

Mai worked on an electronics assembly line in Bac Ninh (Zone I) and contributed unemployment insurance on an average salary of 12,000,000 VND a month over her last 6 months. Her plant downsized after she had contributed for 48 months. She wants to know what she can claim while she looks for new work.

Inputs: average 6-month salary 12,000,000 VND · Zone I · 48 months of contribution

Amount%
Average of last 6 months salary12,000,000100%
× 60% benefit rate7,200,000
Cap check: Zone I cap = 5 × 5,310,000 = 26,550,000 (does not bite)26,550,000
Monthly benefit7,200,00060%
Duration: 48 months ('48 to 59' band) = 3 + floor((48 − 36)/12) months4
Total benefit (7,200,000 × 4 months)28,800,000
While she was employed, her own BHTN contribution was 1% of salary, or 120,000 VND a month.

Mai receives 7,200,000 VND a month for 4 months, a total of 28,800,000 VND.

Basis: Law 74/2025/QH15 (60% rate, duration ladder); Decree 293/2025/ND-CP (Zone I minimum wage).

Example B: a senior manager in Ha Noi where the cap bites

Hung was an operations manager in Ha Noi (Zone I) earning a high salary; his average contribution salary over his last 6 months was 60,000,000 VND a month, and he had contributed for 60 months. Because his salary is high, the benefit cap is the deciding factor.

Inputs: average 6-month salary 60,000,000 VND · Zone I · 60 months of contribution

Amount%
Average of last 6 months salary60,000,000100%
× 60% benefit rate (raw monthly benefit)36,000,000
− Held at Zone I cap (5 × 5,310,000); loses 9,450,000 a month26,550,000
Monthly benefit (capped)26,550,00044%
Duration: 60 months ('60 to 71' band) = 3 + floor((60 − 36)/12) months5
Total benefit (26,550,000 × 5 months)132,750,000
This is the case that exercises the cap: a high earner's benefit is held at 5 times the regional minimum wage regardless of how much they earned, so his effective replacement rate is about 44% of salary rather than the headline 60%.

Hung receives 26,550,000 VND a month for 5 months, a total of 132,750,000 VND.

Basis: Law 74/2025/QH15 (60% rate, 5× cap, duration ladder); Decree 293/2025/ND-CP (Zone I minimum wage).

Example C: a hospitality worker in Da Nang with a shorter record

Linh worked in a Da Nang hotel (Zone III) and contributed unemployment insurance on an average salary of 8,000,000 VND a month over her last 6 months. She had contributed for 30 months when her contract was not renewed.

Inputs: average 6-month salary 8,000,000 VND · Zone III · 30 months of contribution

Amount%
Average of last 6 months salary8,000,000100%
× 60% benefit rate4,800,000
Cap check: Zone III cap = 5 × 4,140,000 = 20,700,000 (does not bite)20,700,000
Monthly benefit4,800,00060%
Duration: 30 months ('12 to 35' band) = flat first step3
Total benefit (4,800,000 × 3 months)14,400,000
If she had contributed just 6 more months, reaching 36, she would still receive 3 months; the 4th month only unlocks at 48 months of contribution.

Linh receives 4,800,000 VND a month for 3 months, a total of 14,400,000 VND.

Basis: Law 74/2025/QH15 (60% rate, duration ladder); Decree 293/2025/ND-CP (Zone III minimum wage).

5. Frequently asked questions

How much is the unemployment benefit in Vietnam in 2026?

The monthly unemployment benefit is 60% of the average salary you contributed unemployment insurance on over your last 6 months of work, under the Law on Employment 74/2025/QH15. It is capped at 5 times the regional minimum wage, so in Zone I no one receives more than 26,550,000 VND a month, in Zone II 23,650,000, in Zone III 20,700,000, and in Zone IV 18,500,000. The duration runs from 3 to 12 months depending on how long you contributed.

How long do I have to contribute to claim unemployment benefit?

You need at least 12 months of unemployment insurance contributions within the 24 months before your labour contract ends. If you were on a seasonal or short-term contract of 3 to under 12 months, the window is the 36 months before the contract ends. Once you cross 12 months you qualify for the minimum 3 months of benefit; longer records earn longer benefit, up to 12 months at 144 months of contribution.

How many months of unemployment benefit can I receive?

You receive 3 months of benefit for your first 12 to 35 months of contribution, then one extra month for every full additional 12 months you contributed beyond 36, up to a maximum of 12 months. So 48 months of contribution gives 4 months of benefit, 60 months gives 5, 72 months gives 6, and 144 months reaches the 12-month ceiling. Contribution time beyond 144 months is not carried forward.

What is the maximum unemployment benefit (the cap)?

The benefit cannot exceed 5 times the regional minimum wage of the zone where your last workplace was located. For 2026 that is 26,550,000 VND a month in Zone I, 23,650,000 in Zone II, 20,700,000 in Zone III, and 18,500,000 in Zone IV. If 60% of your average salary is higher than that ceiling, you receive the ceiling. High earners therefore have an effective replacement rate below 60%, as Example B shows.

How much do I pay into unemployment insurance each month?

While employed, you contribute 1% of your contribution salary to the unemployment insurance fund. Your employer adds another 1%, and the State subsidises up to a further 1%. The contribution base is capped at 20 times the regional minimum wage (106,200,000 VND a month in Zone I), so very high salaries pay BHTN only on the portion up to that ceiling. These contributions build your future entitlement and are not netted off the benefit you later claim.

When will I receive my first unemployment payment?

Under the new Law on Employment, the first benefit payment is due by the 11th working day after you file a valid claim at the employment service centre, provided you have not received notice that your claim is rejected. This is faster than the old Law 38/2013/QH13, which set the deadline at the 16th working day. You must register your unemployment status and continue to confirm your job-seeking each month to keep receiving payments.

Do I lose my contribution history after I claim?

The months of contribution that were counted to calculate a benefit you received are "used up" and are not carried into a future claim. Any contribution months above the 144-month ceiling, however, are simply not retained for the duration calculation in the first place. If you return to work and contribute again, you begin building a fresh entitlement. The calculator models a single claim from a single contribution record, so it does not net out previously claimed periods.

Is the unemployment benefit taxed, and can I work while receiving it?

The unemployment benefit itself is a social-insurance payment, not employment salary, so it is treated differently from wages for tax. You must, however, remain genuinely unemployed and seeking work to keep receiving it: taking a new job, starting compulsory military service, or beginning to draw a pension generally ends the benefit. The calculator estimates the gross benefit entitlement only and does not model the monthly job-search confirmation or early-termination rules.

6. Common scenarios and edge cases

  • Salary above the cap. When 60% of your 6-month average exceeds 5 times the regional minimum wage, the benefit is held at that ceiling (Example B). The higher your salary, the lower your effective replacement rate.
  • Contribution just under 12 months. Below 12 months of contribution in the lookback window, no benefit is payable at all. The calculator shows a "not eligible" state and tells you how many more months you would need.
  • Crossing a 12-month duration step. Duration only increases at exact 12-month milestones beyond 36. A worker at 47 months still gets 3 months; at 48 months they get 4. It can be worth knowing exactly where you sit on the ladder, which the timeline beside the calculator marks.
  • Very long records (over 144 months). The benefit duration tops out at 12 months once contribution reaches 144 months. Contributing for 13 or 20 years does not extend the benefit beyond 12 months.
  • Short-term or seasonal contracts. For contracts of 3 to under 12 months, the qualifying window is the 36 months before the contract ends rather than 24. The benefit rate, cap, and duration ladder are otherwise the same.
  • The zone is the workplace's, not your home's. The cap depends on the regional minimum wage of the zone where your last employer was located. If you commuted across a zone boundary, use the workplace zone.
  • Vocational training support. Workers who have contributed at least 9 months may also be entitled to vocational training support of up to 6 months. This is a separate entitlement from the cash benefit and is not modelled by this calculator.

7. Key terms

Trợ cấp thất nghiệpunemployment benefit
The monthly cash payment, equal to 60% of the average contribution salary of the last 6 months, capped at 5 times the regional minimum wage.
Bảo hiểm thất nghiệp (BHTN)unemployment insurance
The compulsory insurance scheme that funds the benefit, financed by 1% from the employee, 1% from the employer, and up to 1% from the State.
Tiền lương đóng BHTNcontribution salary
The salary that unemployment insurance is calculated on each month; the benefit is based on the average of the last 6 months of this figure, not necessarily your full gross.
Mức lương tối thiểu vùngregional minimum wage
The zone-based statutory minimum wage (Zones I to IV) that sets both the contribution-base cap (20×) and the benefit cap (5×).
Thời gian đóngcontribution period
The total months of unemployment insurance paid; it drives how many months of benefit you receive, on the 3-to-12-month ladder.
Thời gian hưởngbenefit duration
The number of months the benefit is paid, from 3 to 12, determined by the contribution period.

8. Legal basis and sources

Every figure on this page traces to the primary Vietnamese legal text. Links go primarily to the National Legal Portal (phapluat.gov.vn), the Ministry of Justice portal HAPRI uses as its source of record, with a full-text link to the Ministry of Justice National Legal Database (vbpl.vn) alongside for the complete machine-readable text.

LawLaw on Employment 74/2025/QH15Unemployment insurance chapter
Unemployment insurance framework (effective 1 Jan 2026); benefit, eligibility, duration.
phapluat.gov.vn · full text (vbpl.vn)
LawLaw on Employment 74/2025/QH15Article 39
Monthly benefit (60%) and benefit cap (5× regional minimum wage).
phapluat.gov.vn · full text (vbpl.vn)
LawLaw on Employment 74/2025/QH15Article 34.2
BHTN contribution-salary cap (20× regional minimum wage); 1% employee rate.
phapluat.gov.vn · full text (vbpl.vn)
LawLaw on Employment 38/2013/QH13Article 50
Prior unemployment-benefit formula (60% rate, 3-month base, +1 per 12 months, 12-month cap) carried into the new law.
phapluat.gov.vn · full text (vbpl.vn)
DecreeDecree 374/2025/ND-CPWhole
Implementing rules for the new Law on Employment.
phapluat.gov.vn
DecreeDecree 293/2025/ND-CPWhole
2026 regional minimum wages (Zone I 5,310,000; the 5× cap and 20× base derive from these).
phapluat.gov.vn · full text (vbpl.vn)

9. Methodology, scope and disclaimer

This page and the calculator above model the 2026 unemployment insurance benefit for the common employee case: a worker who paid compulsory BHTN on a single labour contract and has now lost that job. They compute the gross monthly benefit (60% of the 6-month average, subject to the 5× regional-minimum-wage cap) and the benefit duration (3 to 12 months from the contribution ladder).

They do not model the monthly job-search reporting requirement, suspension or early termination of benefit (for example on taking a new job or starting to draw a pension), the separate vocational training support entitlement, voluntary or backdated contributions, or any reconciliation of previously claimed periods. The contribution-period input is taken at face value as retained, qualifying months.

The calculator is an estimation aid, not professional or legal advice. For a formal claim, register at your local employment service centre (trung tâm dịch vụ việc làm) or consult Vietnam Social Security (Bảo hiểm xã hội Việt Nam). HAPRI is an independent research institute and has no commercial interest in your result; the tool is free and the full methodology is published so you can audit every number.

10. About this calculator

HAPRI (the Health and Agricultural Policy Research Institute) builds free, openly-documented tools to make Vietnamese public policy legible to the people it affects. This unemployment insurance calculator is part of a suite of seven covering personal income tax, take-home pay, pensions, and social insurance. The math is version-controlled, tested against the primary law, and refreshed from a live constants database, so the figures here stay in step with the statute as it changes.

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