Vientianeruns on a handful of strong industries. If you’re job-hunting or weighing a move, here’s where the opportunities (and the big-name employers) are.
Top industries & employers
Hydropower & Energy
Électricité du Laos, Nam Theun 2, regional IPPs
Laos exports power to Thailand and Vietnam; the sector drives much of the country's foreign investment and debt.
Development & Diplomacy
UN agencies, World Bank, ADB, JICA, bilateral embassies
Vientiane's largest employer of English-speaking foreign professionals by a wide margin.
Logistics & Rail
Laos-China Railway, Thanaleng Dry Port, Vientiane Logistics Park
The railway turned a landlocked country into a transit corridor; freight and logistics are the growth story.
Mining & Resources
Sepon, Phu Bia, potash and bauxite operations
Concession-based and cyclical, with most operations well outside the capital.
Garments & Light Manufacturing
Export-oriented garment factories, Vientiane SEZs
Long-established export sector, concentrated in the special economic zones around the capital.
Agriculture & Agro-processing
Coffee (Bolaven), rice, cassava, banana and rubber exporters
Still the largest employer nationally; processing and export logistics are where foreign capital sits.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.