THE IMPLICATIONS OF INDUSTRY 4.0 FOR LABOR FORCE PARTICIPANTS WITH DISABILITIES: THE CONTEMPORARY VIETNAMESE CONTEXT

ABSTRACT

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) is vigorously restructuring the productive forces through unprecedented modalities. For workers with disabilities (WWDs), this transformative process engenders a dualistic paradox: while expanding labor participation through telecommuting and assistive technologies, it simultaneously precipitates new mechanisms of social exclusion driven by technological displacement. This article examines the impact of Industry 4.0 on WWDs in Vietnam across three dimensions: employment status (the conditions for labor market entry), employment quality (the conditions for existence and the reproduction of labor power), and their positioning within the productive forces (the degree of recognition within the social division of labor). Based on this analytical framework, the study identifies emerging challenges and proposes strategic interventions to amplify positive externalities while mitigating adverse effects. The ultimate objective is to reposition WWDs as equal labor subjects within the productive forces of contemporary Vietnam.

АННОТАЦИЯ

Четвертая промышленная революция (Индустрия 4.0) активно реструктурирует производительные силы посредством беспрецедентных модальностей. Для работников с ограниченными возможностями здоровья (ОВЗ) этот трансформационный процесс порождает дуалистический парадокс: расширяя возможности участия в трудовой деятельности за счет дистанционной занятости и ассистивных технологий, он одновременно провоцирует возникновение новых механизмов социального исключения, вызванных технологическим вытеснением. В данной статье анализируется влияние Индустрии 4.0 на работников с ОВЗ во Вьетнаме в трех аспектах: состояние занятости (условия входа на рынок труда), качество занятости (условия существования и воспроизводства рабочей силы) и их положение в системе производительных сил (степень признания в общественном разделении труда). На основе данной аналитической базы в исследовании выявляются возникающие вызовы и предлагаются стратегические меры, направленные на усиление положительных экстерналий при одновременном смягчении негативных последствий. Конечная цель исследования заключается в репозиционировании работников с ОВЗ как равноправных субъектов труда в структуре производительных сил современного Вьетнама.

Keywords: The Fourth Industrial Revolution; workers with disabilities; employment; productive forces; Vietnam.

Ключевые слова: Четвертая промышленная революция; работники с ограниченными возможностями здоровья; занятость; производительные силы; Вьетнам.

Introduction

Industry 4.0 is transforming not only technology but the very fabric of social labor organization: the instruments of labor are increasingly digitized, labor processes are mediated by data metrics, and industrial relations are increasingly governed by connective platforms. Within this paradigm shift, the questions of "who participates" and "how they participate" in the production process become paramount. This is because labor remains the fundamental mode through which an individual is recognized as a subject within social life.

Persons with disabilities (PWDs) constitute an inseparable integral of the social collective. Ensuring their rights and enhancing their quality of life is not merely a state mandate but a collective commitment of society as a whole. In contemporary Vietnam, PWDs are not simply a vulnerable group requiring general rights protections; they represent a segment of the labor force with the latent potential to engage in production and generate surplus value.

However, empirical reality reveals that workers with disabilities (WWDs) encounter multifaceted barriers in accessing the labor market, ranging from physical workplace inaccessibility and prohibitive costs of support to skills gaps and systemic prejudices in recruitment and human resource management. Consequently, Industry 4.0 presents a striking paradox: while technology and digital environments can democratize employment opportunities by dissolving spatial and communicative barriers, an increasing dependence on high-tech infrastructure may engender new forms of exclusion if systems are not designed for universal accessibility or if workers lack the requisite conditions for equitable participation.

While discourse on Industry 4.0 typically emphasizes productivity prospects and innovation, disability studies frequently confine their focus to social welfare, rehabilitation, or service accessibility. Therefore, this study centers on the worker with disabilities as an active labor subject within the crucible of technological transformation. It seeks to elucidate the impacts of Industry 4.0 not merely through the binary of employment versus unemployment, but through the nuanced lenses of employment quality and the evolution of their ontological status within the productive forces.

1. An Overview of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Workers with Disabilities in Contemporary Vietnam

It can be asserted that humanity is witnessing and undergoing the profound impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. As an inevitable and irreversible trend, the meteoric advancement of science, engineering, and technology—along with their myriad applications—has forged an industrial revolution that is bestowing an entirely new countenance upon nations. It alters not only what we do and how we do it, but also fundamentally transforms who we are.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution has precipitated a comprehensive transformation of communication systems across nations, enterprises, industries, and society at large. These systemic shifts are so profound that at no other point in history has humanity stood before such immense promise, yet simultaneously confronted such significant latent risks.

A high degree of automation stands as one of the fundamental characteristics of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. A new generation of autonomous machinery has emerged, capable of undertaking not only repetitive tasks but also those requiring cognitive faculties, thanks to substantial advancements in artificial intelligence and robotics. This technology can operate effectively in extreme or hazardous environments inaccessible to humans. Furthermore, these systems possess the capacity to interact with their surroundings, utilize experiential data to perform logical reasoning, and acquire new knowledge through learning processes. Collectively, these factors imply that the workforce—including workers with disabilities—faces the risk of being easily displaced.

Under Clause 1, Article 2 of the Law on Persons with Disabilities 2010, a person with a disability (PWD) is defined as "a person who is impaired in one or more body parts or suffers functional decline manifested in the form of a disability, which causes difficulties in labor, daily life, and learning." Meanwhile, Article 1 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) states: "Persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others." In this context, we align with the CRPD's conceptualization as recommended by the UNDP [3, p. 4].

In contemporary Vietnam, there are approximately 7 million persons with disabilities, accounting for over 7.06% of the population [2]. These figures indicate that Vietnam has a relatively high disability prevalence rate compared to the total population within the Asia-Pacific region.

Beyond being a vulnerable group, PWDs confront myriad barriers when accessing the labor market. The most prominent feature of this landscape is the substantial employment gap correlated with the severity of the disability. The World Bank (2024) report, based on the disability module in the 2022 Labor Force Survey (VLFS), shows that the employment rate for the non-disabled group is approximately 72.5%, whereas it is only 26.7% for those with moderate disabilities and a mere 5.9% for those with severe disabilities [5, p. 11]. The correlation between disability—whether moderate or severe—and unemployment is stark. This does not merely represent an "opportunity gap" but reflects a reality where a vast portion of the labor power of PWDs remains unrealized within social labor; a segment of labor power is "held back" in a state of potentiality rather than becoming actual labor within the production process.

While employment plays a central role in social life—enabling individuals to generate income, participate in social relations, and affirm their self-worth—for persons with disabilities, it carries not only economic significance but is also a critical condition for enhancing social integration and equality. At the macro level, promoting the participation of PWDs in the labor market is directly linked to growth and inclusive development. Numerous studies suggest that a nation may "lose between 1–7% of its GDP" [4, p. 13] if PWDs are not provided with the conditions to participate in labor fully and effectively. Nonetheless, data in Vietnam indicate that the labor force participation rate of PWDs remains significantly lower than that of the general population.

Against this backdrop, Industry 4.0 is forging a new labor environment in which digital means of production, digital platforms, and data-driven governance have become dominant factors governing workers' opportunities for participation and advancement. For workers with disabilities (WWDs) in Vietnam, the impact of Industry 4.0 is manifested across three closely intertwined dimensions: employment status, job quality, and their positioning within the productive forces.

2. The Impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on Workers with Disabilities in Contemporary Vietnam

2.1. The Impact of Industry 4.0 on the Employment Status of Persons with Disabilities in Vietnam

Employment is not merely an economic state (the generation of income), but the fundamental form through which labor power is actualized and an individual is recognized as a subject participating in the process of social production. Therefore, when surveying the impact of Industry 4.0 on workers with disabilities (WWDs), our focus should not only be on how many jobs Industry 4.0 creates or displaces. More profoundly, we must elucidate how Industry 4.0 is transforming labor conditions and directing the trajectories through which WWDs participate in the labor market.

Empirical evidence in Vietnam reveals that WWDs enter the digital era from a disadvantageous starting point regarding labor participation. An analysis based on survey data from the 2022 period indicates that the labor force participation rate for persons with moderate disabilities is only approximately 26.7%, and for those with severe disabilities, a mere 5.9%, compared to about 72.5% in the non-disabled group. This stands as a critical indicator that a significant portion of disabled labor power is not incorporated into the process of social labor.

Against this backdrop, the impact of Industry 4.0 on the employment status of PWDs in Vietnam manifests as a two-sided contradiction:

On the one hand, Industry 4.0 generates novel possibilities to expand employment for PWDs, primarily through the partial "dematerialization" of labor activities. The utilization of smart devices, robotics, and the Internet of Things (IoT) has transformed the deployment of labor. Today, WWDs can work for various enterprises; they can reside in Vietnam yet work for companies located halfway across the globe. Furthermore, those in executive and administrative positions can exchange and process work rapidly without requiring a physical presence. Constraints regarding travel and long-distance mobility are no longer prohibitive barriers. Hearing aids, text-to-speech technologies, and artificial intelligence are deployed in advanced versions, providing much richer and higher-quality experiences. The digital era opens new doors with diverse choices, significantly alleviating the difficulties faced by WWDs. They are empowered with continuous learning, labor participation, and business engagement, generating income to support themselves and their families.

Training, employment support, and digital economy entrepreneurship programs for PWDs have been implemented. This is a concrete step toward realizing the major guidelines of the Party and the State, particularly the spirit of Resolution 57 on applying science and technology to life, and Resolution 68 on developing the private economy into an important driving force of the economy. Above all, the program opens the door of opportunity for millions of PWDs in Vietnam to access modern working environments and digital technology on an equal basis. For PWDs, accessing the digital economy is not simply about learning a new skill or having an additional career option. It is a journey of affirming self-worth in a society undergoing a powerful digital transformation. Unbound by physical space or mobility barriers, the digital environment becomes a "fertile ground" for PWDs to acquire vocational skills, practice their trade, and achieve livelihood autonomy.

On the other hand, Industry 4.0 heightens the risk of job loss in simple and repetitive tasks due to automation. If a segment of PWDs is predominantly present in employment "niches" characterized by low knowledge and skill content—which once served as their entry point into the labor market—then automation threatens to shrink these niches. As traditional employment channels narrow while digital employment channels demand digital skills and digital access, PWDs risk falling into a state of unemployment or economic inactivity, meaning they are pushed out of the process of reproducing the social labor force.

This very digitalization can generate a new form of exclusion: digital exclusion. Here, the barrier lies not only in hardware or connectivity but also in structural design. Recruitment platforms, online forms, competency tests, video interviews, and digital identification systems—if not designed for universal accessibility—become an invisible screening mechanism. In essence, workers with disabilities may be excluded from the labor market not due to a lack of professional competence, but because they cannot "navigate" the digitized procedures. Consequently, prolonged unemployment or discouragement in job seeking leads to their withdrawal from the labor market.

Therefore, from a philosophical standpoint, the impact of Industry 4.0 on the employment status of workers with disabilities cannot be understood as a "natural" consequence of technical progress. It is the result of how society organizes the digital labor environment: whether that environment is sufficiently inclusive not to "disable" individuals, and whether society designs mechanisms for training, accessible support, and protection to reduce unemployment and non-participation. In other words, Industry 4.0 can simultaneously widen the entrance to the labor market and erect a new, more formidable barrier to entry.

2.2. The Impact of Industry 4.0 on the Employment Quality of Workers with Disabilities in Vietnam

If the ability to secure a job only addresses short-term concerns, then employment quality pertains to questions of long-term sustainability. In this context, the quality of employment for workers with disabilities (WWDs) encompasses not only income generation but also stability, working conditions, and environment; the extent of rights protection; professional development opportunities; and the capacity to be recognized as an equal labor subject. This conceptual shift moves the inquiry from "whether one has a job" to "whether that job truly integrates the person with a disability into the social production process as a protected member of the labor force."

Employment quality reflects the relationship between the worker and the conditions of labor (instruments of labor, labor organization, and evaluation standards). In the era of Industry 4.0, these conditions are undergoing a radical digital transformation: instruments of labor are becoming software, platforms, and AI; the labor environment is evolving into a digital system; and labor organization operates through data and metrics. This shift renders the employment quality of PWDs inherently dualistic: technology can enhance quality by reducing barriers and increasing productivity, yet it can also lead to the precaritization of labor by amplifying gaps in access and pushing workers into unprotected forms of employment.

On a positive note, Industry 4.0 has the potential to enhance the employment quality of WWDs through three primary mechanisms:

First, digitalization and assistive technologies can improve labor conditions by reducing "entry costs" and increasing the usability of tools. When assistive technologies and support tools (screen readers, speech-to-text, captioning, AI assistants) are integrated into workflows, WWDs can work more independently, reducing reliance on intermediaries and boosting productivity. This is a direct pathway to narrowing the gap between actual and potential productivity, thereby improving employment quality in terms of both efficiency and long-term retention prospects.

Second, Industry 4.0 opens the possibility for WWDs to transition from simple manual tasks to knowledge-intensive roles, provided there is adequate training and support. The World Bank (2024) report on the disability employment gap in Vietnam emphasizes that improving employment for PWDs is not merely about increasing the quantity of jobs but elevating their quality through interventions in skills and the labor environment. Here, quality is directly linked to the ability to access higher-productivity and higher-income positions within the digital economy.

Third, flexible work models (remote/hybrid) can enhance employment quality by increasing job retention and improving the work-life balance—particularly for those with mobility impairments or comorbid health conditions. When labor time and space are organized flexibly, the physical and social costs of commuting decrease; this can enhance stability and reduce the risk of employment disruption, which is a vital component of job quality.

However, the adverse effects of Industry 4.0 on employment quality are equally stark and may be exacerbated for PWDs:

Primarily, Industry 4.0 can lead to the "precaritization" of employment quality. The utilization of virtual spaces allows many firms to shift away from long-term labor demands. Traditional industrial relations are being disrupted, while short-term, gig-based relations become prevalent. In this environment, the rights and benefits of long-term workers are often sidelined. WWDs, who already face barriers to formal employment, may be "pulled" into flexible but unprotected roles: income becomes dependent on volatile orders or ratings, formal contracts are absent, and access to social insurance and standard benefits is restricted. In this case, quality is low not due to a lack of work, but because the work is unstable and lacks a social safety net.

Furthermore, data-driven labor management and the "KPI-ization" of the digital environment can degrade employment quality by intensifying labor and reducing "tolerance" for difference. WWDs often require reasonable accommodations regarding pace, communication methods, or tools. Yet, in management systems based on real-time optimization and rigid metrics, these differences are easily perceived as "deviations" from the norm. Consequently, employment quality suffers not only in terms of psychological well-being and health but also in job security: workers may be undervalued, granted fewer promotion opportunities, or marginalized by automated work distribution systems.

In summary, the impact of Industry 4.0 on the employment quality of WWDs in Vietnam operates within a dualistic tension: on the one hand, digital and assistive technologies can elevate quality by dismantling barriers and expanding access to knowledge-based labor; on the other hand, digitalization can "precaritize" labor by pushing workers into unprotected roles, intensifying labor through KPI-driven systems, and reproducing exclusionary environments within the digital space. This divergence will directly govern the positioning of workers with disabilities within the productive forces.

2.3. The Impact of Industry 4.0 on the Positioning of Workers with Disabilities in Vietnam

On the most general level, "positioning" is not synonymous with the "statistical presence" of a group within a population or workforce; rather, it refers to their substantive status within the process of social production: whether they are recognized as labor subjects capable of generating value, or whether they are relegated to the "periphery" (marginality), where their labor power exists only as a latent potentiality that has yet to be actualized.

At this level, Industry 4.0 engenders a specific paradox. On the one hand, it offers an opportunity to reposition persons with disabilities: as the instruments of labor become digitized—software, platforms, AI, and data—physical barriers are relatively diminished, and assistive technologies can "unlock" labor capacity. On the other hand, this very digitalization can simultaneously displace workers with disabilities (WWDs) from the production process.

In contemporary Vietnam, the non-employment rate (which includes those outside the labor force, such as housewives or individuals not seeking work) among those with moderate and severe disabilities is disproportionately high (73.3% and 94.1%, respectively) compared to the non-disabled group (27.5%) [5, p. 11]. These figures indicate that this is not merely a "labor market gap" but a salient indicator of social positioning in production: a vast portion of disabled labor power is withheld in a state of potentiality, unmobilized, leaving PWDs susceptible to being "labeled" as objects of social welfare rather than labor subjects. Besides the possibility of being marginalized, WWDs may fall into a state of "formal integration": participating in the workforce but primarily within the realm of self-employment, lacking protective mechanisms.

According to the World Bank (2024), another noteworthy point is the high rate of self-employment. Among those employed, "32.4% of non-disabled persons are self-employed. However, for the group with moderate disabilities, this rate is 66.6%. For those with severe disabilities, the rate is 52.6%. This aligns with the hypothesis that barriers to wage employment may compel persons with disabilities to create their own job opportunities" [5, p. 11]. In such instances, industrial relations shift; WWDs no longer benefit from inherent worker privileges—such as tax incentives, insurance, or employer subsidies—but must self-finance and self-operate. They—WWDs, a fundamentally vulnerable demographic—consequently fall into a fragile position within the social division of labor, where difficulties are compounded.

In the 4.0 era, the positioning of WWDs is determined not only by technology but also by social attitudes and the level of support from those around them. Statistical data reveals that "only one-third of employers and business owners are willing to work with PWDs" [5, p. 14]. This reflects attitudes and expectations toward PWDs that still harbor a significant risk of exclusion. This stems from the fact that PWDs may have specific requirements regarding work schedules—due to health conditions or an inability to undertake multiple continuous tasks—while employers may be unwilling to provide flexible workplace adjustments. Furthermore, a majority of PWDs report that their families do not support their job-seeking efforts, particularly in the case of women. This level of support tends to diminish with age; consequently, the positioning of WWDs increasingly declines in an era where the replacement of both simple and complex human labor by machinery is accelerating.

This is a manifestation of a profound mechanism of "peripheralization": when PWDs are not recognized as labor subjects with the right to pursue economic autonomy even within their immediate social circles, their exclusion from the productive forces is driven not only by the market but also by socio-cultural structures. If Industry 4.0 is understood merely as a technological narrative, this structural layer is overlooked; however, if understood as a process of restructuring the productive forces, it becomes clear that the familial and social environments are essential conditions for labor power to become actualized labor.

From the aforementioned analysis, it is evident that the impact of Industry 4.0 on the positioning of WWDs cannot be reduced solely to technological factors. Industry 4.0 has created a contradiction: technology can open doors to employment and enhance job quality, but it can also erect digital barriers, precaritize labor, and degrade the status of WWDs. Therefore, the issue does not reside in technology per se, but in the design of the digital labor environment and the accompanying protective mechanisms.

3. Emerging Issues and Solutions to Mitigate the Negative Impacts of Industry 4.0 on Workers with Disabilities in Vietnam Today

The impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on workers with disabilities (WWDs) in Vietnam manifests through two antithetical trends. While it expands job-seeking possibilities and enhances employment quality, Industry 4.0 has also widened the employment gap based on the severity of disability. Secondly, the digital environment risks becoming a new "disabling environment" if recruitment platforms, digitized workflows, and labor tools are designed without accessibility. Thirdly, there is the issue of labor precaritization: if PWDs primarily access self-employment or unprotected platforms, the quality of their employment remains unsustainable.

To mitigate the negative impacts of Industry 4.0 and amplify its positive externalities, we propose the following multi-level solutions:

At the State Level: It is imperative to integrate disability inclusion goals into the National Digital Transformation program under Decision 749/QD-TTg. When considering "institutions and technology as the engines of digital transformation" [1, p. 4], the rights of PWDs, including WWDs, must be further solidified within legal frameworks to ensure that "no one is left behind" in this era of national advancement. We require specific anti-discrimination regulations regarding technology. For instance, if a factory employs a person with a bilateral upper-limb impairment but utilizes a fingerprint recognition system for entry without a specialized alternative, this constitutes technological discrimination. Furthermore, given their physical or mental specificities, WWDs should be granted a broader range of labor contract options, featuring more flexible agreements regarding contract duration, work nature, or working hours. The state should also incentivize enterprises to hire WWDs through various measures, particularly via tax exemptions or reductions.

At the Corporate Level: Enterprises must adopt inclusive design in recruitment and digital operations. This involves a willingness to recruit WWDs for suitable positions and implementing reasonable accommodations to enable them to maximize their labor power. On the other hand, businesses should avoid rigid "KPI-ization" and foster a corporate culture rooted in respect for individual differences.

At Educational and Training Institutions: Implementing lifelong learning policies is crucial. In a context of rapid change, all individuals, including WWDs, must be prepared for transition. While traditional roles may disappear, Industry 4.0 generates numerous new occupations that can only be accessed through self-study and continuous education. Universities, vocational centers, and educational institutions must pioneer continuous training and offer preferential policies to encourage WWDs to engage in the learning process. This ensures that WWDs remain updated with the latest knowledge and skills, securing their place in an increasingly competitive labor market.

At the Individual Level: WWDs themselves must maintain an active consciousness toward self-study and lifelong learning to continuously improve their work quality. If "the citizen is the center of digital transformation" [1, p. 4] and "awareness plays a decisive role in digital transformation" [1, p. 4], then transformation must first occur within one's own perception. Therefore, a self-conscious commitment to personal development is the most effective measure for WWDs to ensure self-sufficiency for themselves and their families and to contribute to society, regardless of external fluctuations.

Conclusion

As analyzed, the Fourth Industrial Revolution presents significant opportunities but also introduces formidable challenges for WWDs in the current context. While physical barriers are being dissolved, production methods and industrial relations are undergoing a profound metamorphosis. In the incessant motion of contemporary society, Industry 4.0 has substantially impacted the employment status, job quality, and overall positioning of WWDs. The 2024 World Bank summary indicates a vast employment gap based on disability severity, reflecting a potent risk of peripheralization within the production process in the digital age.

From a socio-philosophical perspective, technology does not predetermine the fate of persons with disabilities. Rather, the decisive factors lie in institutional building, corporate operation, the choices of educational institutions, and the resilient will of WWDs. Consequently, the central requirement is not merely "job creation," but the creation of a labor environment where persons with disabilities can participate in high-quality labor and be recognized as equal subjects of the modern productive forces.

References:

1. Government of Vietnam. Decision No. 749/QD-TTg dated June 3, 2020, approving the "National Digital Transformation Program to 2025, with an Orientation to 2030". Url: https://chinhphu.vn/default.aspx?pageid=27160&docid=200163, accessed March 21, 2026.
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