Workers over 30 years old at foreign direct investment firms are facing risk of layoff after years of working with insurance payments increasing year by year. Instead, their bosses tend to recruit young new workers with lower wages and insurance. 




When checking recruitment information, a common thing that labourers often look for is how much they will get. Few notice the information about eligible age.

Not over 35. Age from 18-35. It’s not difficult to see this kind of information at industrial parks in Da Nang city. Many people are now not eligible for the vacancy.

Ngo Van Tuan, worker in Da Nang city said "it’s hard for me to get a job since I’m over 35 years old now. Private firms may recruit me, but FDI firms... no."

For these women, their most worry is unemployment when getting over 35. Lại Thị Quỳnh said she could not renew her contract since the firm said it sees lower turnover.

"Many enterprises want workers under 25 years old so that they can work longer, with lower initial wage," Quynh said.

Many businesses just simply say they need younger workers, since these labourers can work in a stressful and long time environment.

However, there is another story behind. Experts said businesses want to recruit young workers because their spending on wages and insurance for younger workers is much lower than the level for older ones.

According to Vu Thi Thanh Lieu, Vice Director of the Hanoi Centre of Employment Service, "many older workers come here to register for unemployment benefits because their bosses do not want to renew their contracts."

At present, there is no regulation preventing companies from ending contracts with older workers. Much remains to be done to prevent businesses to take advantage of this loophole to sack labourers.-VNA