Livelihoods of Migrant Workers and the Early Impact of COVID-19 in Hanoi: A Qualitative Study

Vietnam has experienced a sustained wave of migration from rural to urban areas in recent decades, but migrants remain at a considerable disadvantage relative to their urban counterparts in terms of wages and living conditions. Nonetheless, migration serves as an important means of improved livelihood and higher income for migrants and their families. Official policy towards migration has gradually shifted from strict controls towards a more tolerant approach, but migrants still face numerous barriers in their attempts to live and work in the city. The interplay of insecure residential status and informal employment has created a two-tier system within the urban areas, which looks set to persist well beyond current reforms. This paper examines the challenges faced by rural migrants in securing a livelihood in Hanoi, during the years 2019–21, which included the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is based on qualitative interviews with 235 migrant workers from different occupations and districts of the city. Results show that migrants are heavily concentrated in the informal sector and suffer from a socioeconomic disadvantage at multiple levels, including employment, wages, housing, and access to social benefits. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the vulnerability of migrants, with many losing their jobs and being excluded from the first rounds of emergency support. Ongoing reforms in the areas of household registration, health insurance, and social insurance suggest that migrant workers may experience a gradual improvement in livelihoods and opportunities they experience in Vietnam’s cities in the years ahead.