It's not easy to get a job
Mr. Bui Duc Toan (from Tay Tien Hai commune, Hung Yen province) has been a manual labor worker in Hanoi for the past 4 years. Mr. Toan said that even during the stressful period of COVID, he did not have difficulty finding a job like at this time.
Having been unemployed for more than 2 months, Mr. Toan is living on the last savings. Before I lost my job, I was a delivery staff at an electronics and refrigeration store in Ha Dong ward. The total income is about 11 million VND/month, including lunch. That amount of money helps me cover my living expenses, and I send about 4 million VND to my hometown each month to support my adoptive parents' education, said Mr. Toan.
According to Mr. Toan, after the electronics store cut down on personnel, he proactively went to many places to find jobs, went online to see recruitment information and contacted dozens of places but all were not feasible.
Usually, workers find jobs, but businesses make very strict and specific requirements. For example, I applied to be a security guard and a tour guide, parking at a restaurant in Cua Nam ward, which required me to know basic English sentences because the restaurant often has foreign customers. I even applied to work as a part-time worker in a mechanical workshop, the owner also required me to have minimum experience in processing welding by-products..., Mr. Toan said sadly.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Linh (Chuong My ward, Hanoi) is an employee of a delivery company in Lang ward (Hanoi). Having lost her job since the end of September 2025, Ms. Linh is maintaining her income by cleaning houses by the hour for households in an apartment complex on Tay Son street.
"I went to many places to apply for jobs, even though I was just an unskilled laborer, but I still couldn't get any. One is that businesses recruit less, the other is that there is high competition, the other is that there are unskilled jobs but still have separate requirements. Last week, I applied to be a sales staff at a fashion store on Chua Boc Street, but they did not accept me because they "looked unsuitable". I plan to find a seasonal job until the end of the year, if it is too difficult, I will plan to find a job in my hometown," said Ms. Linh.
Hanoi recruits few unskilled workers
According to the Hanoi Employment Service Center, in October 2025, more than 36,000 workers will need to find jobs in the city.
In terms of age, the young labor force aged 25-34 continues to be the largest job-seeking force, accounting for 48.6% (down 1.6% compared to the previous month). This shows that this generation of workers is in the most active career transition period. In contrast, the more experienced age group from 35-54 years old continued to take second place, accounting for 42.6%.
The demand for job search of workers in October focused on the following occupations: don gian dung (accounting for 27.7%), assemblers, equipment operators (accounting for 23.6%) and office assistant staff (accounting for 12%).
Among job seekers, the largest proportion is the group of "untrained" workers, which has increased to 47.4% (an increase of 9.8% compared to September 2025).
Analyzing the rate of unskilled workers accounting for nearly 50% of the unskilled labor force, Mr. Vu Quang Thanh - Deputy Director of the Hanoi Employment Service Center - said that the market is recruiting workers with qualifications, expertise, and training. The unskilled labor force will face more and more difficulties. Never before this time, before the peak production season at the end of the year, the demand for unskilled labor did not increase, even decreased compared to previous quarters, said Mr. Vu Quang Thanh.
