Light Manufacturing in Vietnam : Creating Jobs and Prosperity in a Middle-Income Economy

Based on a wide array of quantitative and qualitative techniques, Light Manufacturing in Vietnam identifies key constraints on manufacturing enterprises in Vietnam and evaluates differences in firm performance across China and Vietnam. The authors argue that, to continue on the high economic growth path of the past, Vietnam needs to address fundamental structural issues in the manufacturing sector that have been masked by this growth. Furthermore, addressing these issues would also help Vietnam move up the higher-value added chain and avoid the middle-income trap that other East Asian economies have experienced.