Vietnamese are the second largest community of expat workers in Japan, which employs 1.28 million foreign workers, just after China. 

The updated bulletin on Vietnamese labor market released by MOLISA on December 26, 2017 showed that 1.07 million workers were unemployed in the third quarter of the year. 

 VietNamNet Bridge – The unemployment rate is on the increase among young people in Viet Nam, however, many companies are facing difficulty in recruiting unskilled labourers in the final months of the year, 

VietNamNet Bridge - While the general unemployment rate is declining, the unemployment rate among bachelor’s degree graduates is on the rise.

The unemployment rate among university graduates is higher that of untrained workers or workers with lower education levels. However, for many Vietnamese students, a bachelor’s degree is the best way for them to make their way in the world.

Vietnam is in the ‘golden population period’ with a high number of working-age people, expected to last from 2010 to 2040. However, the quality of the labor force is not ‘golden’, say experts. 

VietNamNet Bridge - Ten years ago, in-service training for bachelor’s degrees was the bread-earner for universities. Now, schools live on master’s degree training. 

VietNamNet Bridge - Labor experts have issued warnings about the sacking of workers over 35 years old, especially at foreign invested enterprises (FIEs).

VietNamNet Bridge - Many university graduates are taking jobs which unrelated to their majors, including manual jobs, to earn a living.

Doubting the feasibility of MOLISA’s plan to export university graduates, experts say they may have to take manual work as Vietnam’s degrees are not recognized in other countries.

VietNamNet Bridge - “There are many jobs at our company, but they are not reserved for lazy workers who have delusions about themselves,” said the director of a private company.

VietNamNet Bridge - The number of university graduates who are jobless must not discourage students from pursuing higher education, Nguyen Thi Kim Phung, director of the University Education Department, has said.

VietNamNet Bridge - The common characteristics of most of the 200,000 unemployed university graduates are the low level of professional knowledge and work skills.

VietNamNet Bridge - Many students have decided not to follow university education even after passing entrance exams, while many master’s degree graduates have enrolled in vocational schools.

VietNamNet Bridge - Thirty medical and pharmaceutical schools have asked the government not to put them under control of the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA).

Official reports show the percentage of unemployed young people in urban areas is higher than in rural areas and the proportion of unemployed workers with bachelor’s degree or other higher education degrees is higher than untrained workers.

VietNamNet Bridge - Nearly 200,000 workers with bachelor’s and master’s degree were unemployed as of the end of the second quarter of the year, as shown in MOLISA’s latest bulletin.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The unemployment rate in Vietnam has edged up 2.3% in the second quarter of 2016, as Southeast Asia’s fastest growing economy is dragged down a bit by a slowdown in mining and farming growth.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The unemployment rate in Ha Noi has increased slightly in the first three months of this year, with 7,113 people registered for unemployment insurance benefits,

VietNamNet Bridge - In an effort to improve the training quality and reduce the unemployment rate, many universities and junior colleges haven decided to train students according to orders set by businesses.