But fretting at home after leaving public employment once considered a job-for-life, Nguyen Thi Thu told AFP she feels “empty” over a future that is no longer certain.
On Monday, 80,000 roles were slashed as most of the Southeast Asian nation’s provinces and cities were merged.
“It’s really a waste for the state to lose one like myself,“ said 56-year-old Cuong, who served in Bac Giang province outside Hanoi. Bac Giang was merged into a neighbouring province’s administration.
Cuong told AFP he could have remained in his post -- or even been promoted -- but chose to accept a $75,000 payoff for his remaining six years after a 30-year state career.
The mass reorganisation overseen by Vietnam’s top leader To Lam echoes steps taken by US President Donald Trump and Argentine leader Javier Milei to take an axe to government spending towards “efficiency”.
Former district-level secretary Thu admits she may not have been able to manage the burdens of the job as management prioritised performance.
“I resigned, not because I wanted to quit my job,“ Thu said. “It’s better to resign rather than waiting for a dismissal order.”
But the country is facing headwinds from key trade partner the United States.
Vietnam’s deputy finance minister said the new administrative structure would bring “strong scale to connect strong business and economic infrastructure” and create “greater socio-economic development”.
But for Thu, the way forward is now unclear.
Scrolling carefree on his phone and chatting with friends online, Cuong said he had few regrets over his voluntary redundancy.
“I could still contribute more to the state sector,“ he said.
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