Laos is a small, landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, and Myanmar. It is a predominantly Buddhist nation with a population of 7 million people. In recent years, the country has seen rapid economic growth and has become a popular tourist destination for its stunning landscapes and vibrant culture. Despite its rapid development, Laos remains one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia, with a large portion of its population living in rural, poverty-stricken areas. Laos is also a great place to find software developers. But software engineers in Laos are also hard to find and hard to hire. Experienced developers get a lot of messages from recruiters, in some cases five or ten messages per day. To find engineers in Laos you have to search for engineers in different sources, reach out based on their preferred contact details, personalize your outreach and make an attractive offer. In this guide you'll learn more about the tech ecosystem in Laos, which methods to use to find developers and how to hire them.

The tech industry in Laos is still at its nascent stage and there are limited statistics on tech talent. However, research indicates that the IT sector in Laos is growing rapidly, mainly due to foreign investments and government initiatives. The World Bank estimates that the number of people employed in IT and related fields in Laos has grown by about 35% in the past decade.In terms of tech talent, there is a growing demand for software developers, data analysts, and mobile app developers in the country. The demand is mainly driven by the growth of the financial services sector and the emergence of new technology startups. According to a report by LinkedIn, software engineering is the most in-demand tech skill in Laos, followed by mobile development and data analysis.Additionally, the government of Laos is investing heavily in digital infrastructure and digital skills training. The government has launched several initiatives such as the Lao Digital Skills Academy, which provides free online and in-person training to Laotian citizens. The government is also investing in building digital infrastructure, such as high-speed internet access across the country.

The tech ecosystem in Laos is still in its infancy and is largely driven by the public sector. The country is still in the early stages of developing its digital infrastructure, with few venture capital investments and a lack of support for tech startups. There are some successful startups in the country, such as e-commerce platform LaoTec and online marketplace LaoMall, but the majority of tech companies are still in the early stages of development. The government has taken steps to strengthen the tech ecosystem, including the establishment of the National Science and Technology Park, which is dedicated to supporting tech startups and providing business incubation services. Additionally, the government has launched several initiatives to promote digital skills and create a more robust tech talent pool. Despite these efforts, the tech ecosystem in Laos remains very nascent, and there is still much progress to be made.