Phnom Penh (VNA) – Cambodia has added 7,458 registered enterprises, companies and factories over the past three years, bringing the total to 47,758, up nearly 18.5% from around 40,300 previously, according to the country's Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MLVT).
The enterprises and establishments are providing jobs for approximately 2.31 million workers.
MLVT spokesperson Sun Mesa said that the growth should not be assessed solely by the number of newly established enterprises and facilities, but also by their contributions to investment, production, job creation and household incomes.
Behind these figures are investment decisions, production activities, jobs, family incomes and new opportunities for Cambodian workers, he said.
The expansion of the business and industrial sectors has helped build a large employment base across agriculture, industry and services. Mesa stressed that the workforce continues to be one of the key factors helping Cambodia attract investment.
The Cambodian Government is stepping up education, technical and vocational training, developing employment services and strengthening cooperation between training institutions and businesses to better meet labour market demand.
Meanwhile, the garment, footwear and travel goods (GFT) sector has continued to maintain its growth momentum. As of July 2026, 169 enterprises had commenced operations while 15 had closed, resulting in a net increase of 154 enterprises. The newly established enterprises have created jobs for 92,428 workers.
The GFT sector is Cambodia's largest source of foreign currency, accounting for around 50% of the country's total export value. Official reports show that the sector is experiencing strong growth, with Cambodia earning 15.5 billion USD from exports of garments, footwear and travel goods in 2025, up 15.7% from the previous year.
Looking ahead, Cambodia aims to shift its focus from increasing the number of factories to attracting investment to higher value-added manufacturing sectors such as electronics, electrical equipment, automotive components and machinery./.
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