Accepting intentional unemployment
Ms. Le Thi Ha My (30 years old) has quit her job for about 3 months now. Instead of rushing back to the labor market at all costs, she accepts a stage of intentional unemployment to wait for a truly suitable job. During this time, Ms. My still actively takes on online work at home to maintain income, keep the pace of work and continue to look for opportunities that bring mental balance, towards sustainable development.
Previously, when working in communication for some beauty salons, Ms. My directly witnessed many tricks in the industry, from advertising exaggerating uses to "disguising" service quality. These experiences made her increasingly pressured, forcing her to ask again about the value of her profession and the price to pay for mental health.
Ms. My's choice clearly reflects the trend mentioned in Coc Coc Research's Vietnam Employment Market Report. The survey was conducted with 1,009 respondents who are workers, candidates and employers nationwide in December 2025. The report shows that the Vietnamese job market is witnessing a clear change in workers' expectations, in the context of a volatile economy and rapid technological development.
According to reports, mental health is becoming a top priority when choosing a working environment. Although salaries and benefits still create a sense of "stability" for about 40% of workers, income is no longer a decisive factor. Up to 76.9% of workers are willing to choose a healthy, respectful and balanced working environment, even if they have to trade for a higher salary. For Gen Z, 60.8% accept a 1-10% reduction in income in exchange for a suitable working environment.
The concept of "stable jobs" is therefore also being re-examined. Stability is no longer synonymous with long-term payroll or high salaries, but more associated with the ability to balance mentally and develop long-term. For Gen Z, "skills stability" becomes a priority, as they focus on maintaining and continuously upgrading their capabilities to adapt to the volatile labor market.
The salary factor is not enough to retain workers
Discussing this issue, Dr. Nguyen Tien Dinh - former Deputy Minister of Home Affairs - said that material preferential policies such as salaries or allowances are not necessarily enough to retain workers. The factors of the working environment, promotion and development opportunities are the decisive factors. According to him, to retain cadres, civil servants, public employees and workers, it is necessary to synchronously reform salary and bonus policies, ensure income commensurate with effort, and at the same time evaluate and record work results in an objective and transparent manner.
From the perspective of state management of salaries, Mr. Tong Van Lai - Deputy Director of the Department of Salaries and Social Insurance (Ministry of Home Affairs) - said that in 2026, the Department will prioritize the implementation of important task groups related to salary policies, and at the same time wishes to receive support from international organizations, especially the International Labor Organization (ILO). In particular, he emphasized the task of strengthening the salary consultation mechanism, thereby improving the negotiation capacity between employees and employers, towards a salary level that employees feel satisfactory, in accordance with the spirit recommended by the ILO.
Looking broader, Dr. Bui Sy Loi - former Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly's Social Committee - said that 2026 will record a strong increase in job demand, especially in the context that Vietnam has just experienced many fluctuations in 2025 due to natural disasters and storms. This may create a wave of labor migration from agriculture to the service sector, while key economic sectors are increasingly demanding higher quality human resources.
According to Dr. Bui Sy Loi, if not prepared early, the labor market is very likely to fall into the paradox of labor shortage but still surplus of unskilled labor. Businesses need to proactively forecast demand, recruit and retrain human resources, and at the same time ensure full regimes and policies to retain workers. On the worker's side, the requirements are increasingly strict, forcing them to constantly improve their skills, discipline and adaptability if they want to stand firm in a market that no longer has the concept of "lifelong employment".
Experts believe that the determination of attachment of workers today lies not only in income, but also in the working environment, respect, recognition and long-term development prospects. This is also the "backing point" for the labor market to move towards stability and sustainability in the coming period.
