Increase the proportion of trained workers with degrees and certificates
Mr. Nguyen Van Hai (37 years old, residing in Hoang Mai ward, Hanoi) said that he used to work as a warehouse employee for a private enterprise for nearly 10 years. A stable job helps Mr. Hai have income to take care of his family, raise two young children of school age and help his elderly parents. The company cut staff, Mr. Hai was forced to quit his job.
Having submitted applications to businesses many times with the desire to have a stable job, Mr. Hai said that businesses prioritize workers with in-depth expertise or specialized qualifications, making his opportunities increasingly narrower.
After 5 months of not being able to find a new job, Mr. Hai was forced to do freelance work and registered to study in depth in a major he had graduated from college.
Ms. Tran Thi Mai (25 years old, residing in Tu Liem ward, Hanoi) worked as an administrative staff for a private enterprise after graduating from university. Recently, due to the company's reduction of operations, Ms. Mai lost her job and began her journey to find a new job after 3 years of attachment to the company.
Young, dynamic and trained, but when looking for a new job, Ms. Mai feels the great competition in the labor market. Many businesses require candidates to have many years of experience or simultaneously meet many skills.
According to the Statistics Office, in the first 6 months of 2026, the national unemployment rate is 2.22%; the unemployment rate in the working age group is 1.65%.
The labor force aged 15 and over nationwide in Q2/2026 is 53.8 million people; the labor force participation rate is 68.4%. In general, in the first 6 months of 2026, the labor force aged 15 and over is 53.7 million people, an increase of 690,700 people compared to the same period in 2025.
Notably, the rate of trained workers with degrees and certificates in Q2/2026 is 29.8%, 0.2 percentage points higher than Q1/2026 and 0.7 percentage points higher than the same period in 2025. In general, in the first 6 months of 2026, the rate of trained workers with degrees and certificates is 29.7%, 0.8 percentage points higher than the same period in 2025.
Digitization increasingly deeply impacts the labor market
Sharing about the digital "torn" that is causing profound changes to each business, Mr. Tran Long Giang - Director of Thang Long Architecture Company - TAA (Ha Dong ward, Hanoi) - said that facing the wave of digital transformation and automation, businesses have no other choice.
In just the past 2 years, Mr. Giang's company has replaced nearly 40% of personnel in manual operating positions with automatic machinery and artificial intelligence systems. This change directly affects the working group aged 25 to 40 - a force considered the core of many of the most important stages/processes.
From the reality at the company, Mr. Giang pointed out that digitalization has polarized labor into two groups very clearly. The adaptive and breakthrough group is personnel who actively learn and master new technologies to switch to high-quality technical labor positions. They know how to operate complex machines, know how to manage automated systems and become invaluable assets that the company must find every way to retain with worthy remuneration.
The group that fell behind and was eliminated were those who were only used to working in the beaten path, refusing to change their thinking or not meeting new technical standards.
According to Mr. Vu Quang Thanh - Deputy Director of Hanoi Employment Service Center, in the Capital, businesses are hunting for skilled workers. In June 2026, businesses are hunting for workers with university and college degrees or higher (total demand accounts for 51.3%; of which university accounts for 28.5% and college accounts for 22.4%). Regarding occupational groups, businesses have the largest recruitment demand in the group of intermediate (21.42%) and senior (19%) professionals. This is a very clear signal showing that the capital's economic structure is strongly shifting to depth, creating opportunities for skilled workers.
Also according to Mr. Thanh, the period when businesses chased cheap and large-scale labor sources has passed. If workers do not proactively learn a trade and upgrade their skills to adapt, they will put themselves on the sidelines of the market and face the risk of long-term unemployment.
Mr. Le Quang Trung - former Deputy Director in charge of the Department of Employment - said that the current labor market is witnessing a fierce screening. The fact that businesses are innovating technology, applying digital transformation and artificial intelligence has caused the job race to completely shift to the group of personnel with professional and technical qualifications.
“From my perspective, the opportunity for unskilled labor, without training, is shrinking very rapidly. Previously, companies could recruit a large number of unskilled labor to run on scale, but now the ultimate measure is productivity and efficiency per capita. Simple, repetitive jobs are gradually being replaced by machines or optimized management software” - Mr. Trung affirmed.
3 recommendations for workers
To "survive" and maintain a position in the current strict labor market, Mr. Trung gave three core recommendations for workers: Absolutely eliminate the mindset of "selling raw labor". Workers must actively participate in vocational training courses, short-term retraining to own at least one professional qualification or practical technical certificate.
Accumulate digital skills and soft skills. In any position, mastering basic technology tools, discipline, industrial style and good communication skills are mandatory conditions to improve personal competitiveness.
Flexible shift and lifelong learning: Workers must proactively update market trends, be ready to switch to sustainable job segments or part-time services with higher skill content.
