GSO

"The global economic difficulties in the first months of this year have affected domestic industrial production, but the August reading has shown a positive trend," the GSO said in a statement.

Though industrial output for January-August fell 0.4% from a year earlier, the GSO said the recent factory numbers were headed in the right direction.

The services sector grew 6.11% in the second quarter from a year earlier, while the agricultural sector grew 3.25%, and the manufacturing and construction sector expanded 2.50%, the GSO said.

Vietnam's exports in the second quarter fell 14.2% from a year earlier due to weak global demand, the GSO said, adding that imports fell 22.3%.

GDP growth in the fourth quarter was 5.92%, slowing from a growth of 13.71% in the third quarter, the GSO said.