Media Coverage of the Labor Market in Vietnam - A Taxonomy Analysis

Abstract

This study investigates how major online newspapers in Vietnam frame and report labor market information on the supply side. Motivated by the time lag and coverage limitations of official labor statistics, the study considers news media as a high frequency and complementary information source on labor conditions. Data for the analysis was collected from three ranked online newspapers in the period of a year. The results reveal that the news group presented Job turnover status on the supply side (A35) has the highest rate, while the news group described the age (A31) and gender aspects of labor supply (A32) receive comparatively less attention. Overall, 62% of articles employ thematic frames and 38% episodic frames, indicating a strong tendency to situate labor issues within broader structural and policy contexts. The three newspapers also exhibit distinct editorial orientations: vnexpress.net adopts a macro and policy-oriented perspective, thanhnien.vn emphasizes social and gendered dimensions, and nld.com.vn foregrounds the lived experiences and welfare of industrial workers. These results show that online newspapers not only play an important role in supplementing traditional information sources on the labor market situation but also highlight the multidimensional and practical problems of the labor market. This information can have interesting and meaningful implications for various stakeholders, including policymakers, labor users, and employees. It is also a suggestion for a more in-depth and detailed analysis of the news media’s content.