Hanoi increases the demand for recruiting specialized and skilled workers

No expertise, 6 job sessions still can't find a job

Mr. Bui Van Thanh (from Thanh Liem commune, Ninh Binh province) lost his job in July 2025, and has not yet found a new job.

Mr. Thanh was a worker at a plastic mold casting company in Phuong Liet ward (Hanoi). This job was introduced by Mr. Thanh's family, and he started right after graduating from high school. After 3 years of working, Mr. Thanh lost his job due to declining orders, the company cut staff to reduce costs.

"I look for jobs in companies near my old company, but everywhere criticizes me for not having any skills. In many previous stages of work I have taken on, businesses have also been equipped with automated machinery, so there is almost no recruitment demand. With the guidance of acquaintances, I applied for a job through a job service center, attended 6 sessions directly but still could not find a job. Most businesses begged me, there were 2 units receiving me but the starting salary was too low, the benefits were poor..., Mr. Thanh said.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Mui (from Ha Trung commune, Thanh Hoa province) is also a unskilled worker who has lost her job for more than 2 months but has not found a job. Ms. Mui is a worker at a shoe manufacturing company in Yen Nghia Industrial Park (Ha Dong ward, Hanoi). In early August 2025, Ms. Mui lost her job, went to many companies in Ha Dong ward and neighboring wards and communes but still could not find a new job.

" companies do not recruit many unskilled labor positions, not to mention that if there are recruitments, priority will be given to male workers under 25 years old... so it is even more difficult for me to find a job. I plan to find a job until mid-November 2025, if it is not good, I will return to my hometown in another direction," Ms. Mui shared.

Clear shift in recruitment demand

According to the Hanoi Employment Service Center, the labor market in September 2025 showed a clear shift in recruitment demand, in the direction of prioritizing skilled and qualified workers with technical expertise, reflecting increasingly high demand from businesses.

Accordingly, the demand for unskilled labor recruitment has decreased significantly, while the demand for workers with intermediate and college degrees has increased significantly. This trend, combined with the recruitment rate in the salary segment of over 20 million VND/month, has recorded a significant increase, affirming that businesses are focusing on attracting personnel with practical skills and in-depth experience instead of large-scale recruitment.

In September, the recruitment demand for "service and sales staff" decreased from 8.6% (August 2025) to 5.21% (September 2025), along with the decline of the "smooth labor" group from 8.42% (August 2025) to 6.17% (September 2025).

"This trend shows that the period of massive recruitment for unskilled labor positions, serving the peak service season has passed. Instead, the market is showing clear priority for highly skilled and skilled workers. Recruitment demand for "middle-level professionals" increased the most, from 16.56% to 19.75%. Along with that, the groups of "high-level specialists" and "achievers and equipment operators" also recorded good growth. The overall picture reflects a labor market shifting towards focusing on quality and depth, requiring workers to have specialized skills and solid technical skills to meet the increasingly high requirements of businesses, said Mr. Vu Quang Thanh - Deputy Director of Hanoi Employment Service Center.