Vu Hoang Trung, 24, left his home village for HCM City six years ago. He studied, took a job, and became unemployed and is now working as a taxi motorbike driver.

“I am still lucky as I can earn VND7 million a month,” Trung said.

Trung has a positive attitude. He earns a modest amount of money each month, but he is satisfied that he still has a job, while many of his friends remain redundant.

MOLISA’s report showed that unemployment among youth, especially those aged 15-24, remains a burning issue.

In 2020, the unemployment rate of workers aged 15-24 was 7.21 percent. In 2021, the rate was 8.55 percent, the highest in the last 10 years.

In 2022, when the pandemic was contained, the employment situation saw positive signs, but the number of unemployed youth stood at 7.7 percent and 37.6 percent of the total number of unemployed workers.

ILO (International Labor Organization) reported that the proportion of young people aged 15-24 who remained redundant in Vietnam was 7 percent, three times higher than the general unemployment rate and two times higher than in 2019.

Analysts believe the actual figures are higher, because many household businesses, which provide the highest percentage of jobs, are not included because it is difficult to account for them.

Demand and supply

Trung and other young workers who are unemployed hope they will receive support to improve their skills to adapt to new jobs. At present, only one-fourth of Vietnamese workers have had training courses. 

Many young workers cannot satisfy the requirements of businesses. Even young workers who have been trained cannot satisfy criteria set by some employers.

Experts point out that the problem lies in education. There are many majors at universities in Vietnam and the number of graduates each year is high, but the training quality remains problematic.

How to match worker demand and supply is a question that former MOLISA Deputy Minister Pham Minh Huan has been mulling over. “When young people are trained well and are well qualified, the number of unemployed will surely decrease,” Huan said.

In some developed countries, training is based on market demand and enterprises’ requirements. In the Netherlands, for example, the government asks enterprises to register plans to use workers for the next five years.

In Vietnam, a number of large businesses have worked with educational establishments to organize training. Experts say close links between training establishments and enterprises are needed, including universities and businesses.

They point out that career guidance must be offered at regular schools so that students can understand which business fields fit their interests and capabilities.

Young people also need training in soft skills, including communications, time management, and teamwork.

Vu Diep