Hanoi (VNS/VNA) – Rising business registrations alongside a sharp increase in firms completing dissolution procedures in the first eight months of 2026 showed that the corporate sector continues to face restructuring pressure.
Updates from the National Statistics Office last week showed that nearly 138,100 businesses were newly founded from January to August, up 7.7% over the same period last year, while more than 40,800 businesses completed dissolution procedures, a jump of 125.5%.
The divergence highlights a business environment in which expansion and market entry are continuing, but firms facing difficult operating conditions are also being forced to restructure or leave the market.
New businesses registered nearly 1.7 quadrillion VND (64.8 billion USD) in capital during the eight-month period, up 36.2% year-on-year. Average registered capital per new business rose by 26.4% to 12.4 billion VND.
However, registered employment fell by 15.4% to nearly 657,700 workers, suggesting that stronger capital formation among new businesses has not been accompanied by a similar increase in planned employment, demonstrating the impact of technology application, digital transformation and automation.
The total number of businesses entering or returning to the market reached nearly 206,400 during the period, down 1.4% from a year earlier. Of these, nearly 68,300 businesses resumed operations, down 15.8%.
At the same time, more than 88,000 businesses registered for temporary suspension, down 7.3% year-on-year, while nearly 28,600 stopped operating pending dissolution procedures, down 40.3%.
Notably, the number of businesses completing dissolution procedures saw the sharpest increase, with more than 40,800 firms leaving the market during the first eight months, up 125.5% from a year earlier.
On average, 25,800 firms entered or returned to the market each month, while 19,700 left.
By sector, services continued to account for the largest share of newly established businesses during the first eight months, with nearly 102,600 firms, up 4.1% year-on-year. Industry and construction recorded nearly 34,100 new businesses, up 19.8%, while agriculture, forestry and fisheries registered 1,448, up 24.1%.
Sectors that saw the largest number of businesses completing dissolution procedures included wholesale and retail trade, motor vehicle and motorcycle repair, manufacturing and processing, construction, real estate, transport and storage, accommodation and food services, as well as electricity, water and gas production and distribution.
In August alone, nearly 12,200 businesses were newly established, 14.4% higher than July, with registered capital of nearly 189.4 trillion VND, up 13.9%. The number of registered workers totalled 60,400, down 26.4%, however.
Compared with August 2025, the number of newly established businesses fell by 40.5%, registered capital declined by 41.9% and registered employment dropped 43.5%.
Nearly 9,500 businesses resumed operations in August, down 6.5% from July and 23.8% from a year earlier.
Meanwhile, 5,322 businesses registered for temporary suspension, down 39% from July and 18.5% year-on-year. Another 7,566 stopped operating pending dissolution procedures, down 27.1% from July but up 10.1% from a year earlier.
The number completing dissolution procedures reached 9,631 in August, up 33.6% from July and 151.2% from August 2025.
The figures suggested that Vietnam's business sector continues to expand in several areas, but the sharp increase in completed dissolutions and decline in registered employment pointed to continued market restructuring and consolidation, the NSO said.
Market demand, purchasing power, input costs and the outlook for new orders would remain key factors shaping businesses' decisions to enter, expand or leave the market in the final months of the year./.
VNA
