AI engineer Nguyen Nhu Quynh raised the issue with the minister on October 15, at the opening of the prime minister’s 2026 dialogue with young people. The event focused on youth entrepreneurship and innovation as drivers of growth and job creation.

Quynh said AI, automation and digital transformation were rapidly reshaping the labor market. Many traditional jobs were changing or disappearing, while new roles demanded more advanced skills.

Pointing to the roughly 1.6 million young people without work, she asked: “What priority measures are needed to reduce youth unemployment, particularly in forecasting workforce demand, matching workers with employers, supporting career transitions and creating new jobs for young people?”

1.6 million young people outside work, education and training

Responding, Minister of Home Affairs Nguyen Tien Hai cited National Statistics Office figures showing that unemployment among people aged 15 to 24 reached 9.07% in the third quarter of 2026, more than four times the national rate of 2.22%.

Around 1.6 million young people were not in employment, education or training, a category commonly known internationally as NEET. They accounted for 11.2% of the youth population.

Hai noted, however, that this share remained below the global average of more than 20% and the Southeast Asian average of over 16%.

He attributed the situation to several factors, including shortcomings in the mix and quality of training programs and a mismatch between education and employers’ actual needs.

Some young people lacked experience and skills or were not sufficiently proactive and persistent in seeking work, he said. Others did not want to work because they could rely on their families for support.

A high proportion of young people outside employment, education and training increases the risk of wasting the potential of a young workforce and places long-term pressure on the social welfare system, Hai warned.

He noted that every economy has some young people in this category, including those moving from education into work or temporarily outside the labor market.

Vietnam’s policy objective, he said, was to keep that proportion at a reasonable level, making better use of its young workforce while limiting the adverse effects.

Creating more sustainable jobs

Hai said the broader response must begin with greater awareness of the importance of education, training and work across government, economic sectors and society, particularly among young people themselves.

This should be accompanied by coordinated, effective measures to advance socioeconomic development, renew the growth model and open up new areas of economic activity. Faster, sustainable growth would help create more lasting employment opportunities.

Another priority is to expand vocational and information technology training for young people, with programs closely aligned with labor market demand.

Within its remit, the Ministry of Home Affairs has been pursuing a coordinated set of measures, Hai said.

These include effectively implementing the 2025 Law on Employment and its accompanying guidance, alongside other employment policies and directives.

Among them are conclusions issued by the Party general secretary and state president on creating sustainable jobs in rural and urban areas and ethnic minority communities, as well as workforce training for the country’s new stage of development.

The ministry is also monitoring labor market developments and working to improve the quality of labor market analysis and forecasting.

It is developing a worker database connected to national and sector-specific databases and the national employment exchange platform to improve matching between jobseekers and employers.

At the same time, the ministry is working closely with the Ministry of Education and Training to ensure vocational education responds to labor market needs.

It will also oversee efforts to improve the skills and preparedness of young Vietnamese taking overseas jobs under employment contracts.

Public employment service organizations will be directed to work with educational institutions, businesses and local authorities to expand career counseling, guidance and job placement services for young people, including school and university students.

Thu Hang