KhmerTimes-Sept 2, 2026
Cambodia’s textile, garment, footwear and travel-goods industries are expected to remain the country’s largest sources of employment over the next three years, Labor and Vocational Training Minister (MLVT) Heng Sour said. Sour made the remarks on Monday in the ministry’s podcast on “Preparing after high school graduation to meet labor market demands.” The program also featured the Royal University of Phnom Penh Rector Chet Chealy and Westline Education Group Director-General and Young Entrepreneurs Association of Cambodia President Pech Bolen. The minister said the forecast was based on research and statistical data compiled from various sources, including the World Economic Forum, regional labor-market projections, interviews with employers currently investing and operating in Cambodia, as well as newly approved investment projects by the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC).
“We see that from now until the next three years, employment in textiles, garments, footwear and travel goods will continue to account for the largest share of jobs,” Sour said. He noted that the sector’s labor demand extends beyond production workers, with growing needs for technical skills such as automotive mechanics, automation and mechatronics to operate and maintain machinery and equipment in garment factories.
Beyond manufacturing, Sour identified the services sector as another major source of employment, particularly tourism, restaurants and beverage businesses, retail and trade, finance and banking. Meanwhile, labor demand in agriculture is expected to decline over the next three years due to the increasing use of technology and mechanization. The minister stressed that this does not mean agriculture will become less important to the economy. Rather, technological advances are allowing the sector to maintain output while requiring fewer workers. Read more at:
https://www.khmertimeskh.com/502016413/garment-sector-to-remain-cambodias-biggest-job-generator/
