Half a year without getting a job
Having lost her job since March 2025, Ms. Bui Thi Tinh (from Nam Dinh ward, Ninh Binh province) has not yet found a job.
Ms. Tinh is 48 years old, renting a house in Thien Loc commune (Hanoi city). Before losing her job, Ms. Tinh was a worker at a garment company. Having been with the company for more than 9 years, Ms. Tinh lost her job in the company's first personnel cut.
"I was informed by the human resources department to be in the first group to quit my job because I am the group of employees who are the oldest direct production workers in the company - the group over 45 years old. The company supported 2 months of salary after I quit my job.
Although I still have limited capital, I still suffer because I have to take care of my two children's education. My husband lives in the countryside to work in the fields, and the mother and three children rent a house in Hanoi for their children to study at university.
In the past half year, I have participated in many job fairs, finding jobs in many places but not being able to find a job. Currently, I clean the house by the hour for several families introduced by fellow countrymen, Ms. Tinh shared.
Having held the position of head of sales department at a company specializing in kitchen appliances, Mr. Bui Xuan Thanh (Thanh Xuan ward) could not hide his frustration when he had gone to the Hanoi Employment Service Center many times to find a job but was unsuccessful.
In May 2025, Mr. Thanh quit his job because his company's business was stagnant, his salary was paid late, and benefits seemed to be gone. After going to the Hanoi Employment Service Center to complete procedures to receive unemployment benefits, Mr. Thanh stated the information with the desire to find a new job that matches his nearly 20-year experience in the sales department.
Most companies are recruiting workers under the age of 35, people over the age of 35 like me have a hard time finding jobs. If the business recruits experienced workers, it must be in the right major and must be very specialized to be recruited, said Mr. Thanh.
Should accept temporary work
At each job fair of the Hanoi Employment Service Center, among hundreds of workers of different ages coming to find jobs, accounting for a significant proportion of workers over 35 years old.
Mr. Vu Quang Thanh - Deputy Director of the Hanoi Employment Service Center - said that although the capital's labor market is still vibrant, competition and strict requirements from businesses are creating a lot of pressure, especially for those who no longer have the advantage in terms of age.
Enterprises are becoming more and more practical in finding human resources, in addition to prioritizing experience and suitability, they are also paying close attention to the age of candidates. Opportunities for workers over 35 years old are increasingly difficult, especially the group over 40 years old is even more severe, said Mr. Thanh.
Commenting on the difficulties of elderly workers in finding jobs, Mr. Le Quang Trung - former Deputy Director in charge of the Department of Employment - said that many elderly workers who have lost their jobs, when finding a new job, often pay attention to salary, workplace, do not want to be away from home, refuse to work overtime... Therefore, they have difficulty finding jobs, and these additional requirements make finding jobs even more difficult,
If you are not allowed to do the job as expected, do whatever you want to do to earn money, accept low income to learn from experience, observe the market, understand how society is operating, in order to continue to cultivate and develop yourself and adapt to the requirements of the labor market, said Mr. Trung.
According to Mr. Trung, when they lose their job at the age of 40, it is very difficult for workers to find a job. In order for this group of human resources to stay in the social security system, the State needs to have policies on sustainable job protection, as well as encourage businesses to be willing to use and recruit older workers.
To do this, it is necessary to have the cooperation of the employment service center system, trade unions and local authorities in connecting labor supply and demand. Although job opportunities are wide open, to get a suitable job, older workers need to strive to improve their skills and adapt to the requirements of the labor market.
