To obtain a vinyl acetate resin-based adhesive, useful as an adhesive for woodworking and excellent in woodworking adhesive strength, operating suitability and initial adhesive strength by adding ethylene glycol to a vinyl acetate-based monomer in the initial period of polymerization and carrying out the emulsion polymerization.

This vinyl acetate-based adhesive is obtained by adding (C) 0.5-15 pts.wt. ethylene glycol to (B) 100 pts.wt. vinyl acetate-based monomer in the presence of (A) an aqueous solution of a (modified) polyvinyl alcohol at 7-15wt.% concentration in the initial period of polymerization and carrying out the emulsion polymerization. A polyvinyl alcohol having 300-2400 degree of polymerization and ≥80mol% degree of saponification is preferred as the component (A).