Supply and demand mismatch
The Labor Market Report for the Second Quarter of 2025, recently released by Vieclam24h, shows that the number of laid-off workers is increasing, with more than 72.7% actively looking for a new job. However, only 24.7% found a suitable job in a short time. This shows that the journey to reintegrate into the market is full of challenges.
On the other hand, businesses are still seriously lacking in staff. Up to 77.4% of businesses said recruitment was more difficult than the same period last year, especially for official and mid-level employees - positions that are considered the "backbone" of operations.
“There is supply and demand, but they do not meet” - this obvious paradox reflects the increasingly deep disconnect between job seekers and employers, which is no longer a matter of quantity, but a gap in expectations, skills and psychology,” the report stated.
Explaining the reasons, the report said that workers are looking for stability and better working conditions. 64% prioritize better benefits, 59.8% want stable jobs, and 58.7% put higher salaries as the top criteria. However, businesses prioritize measures such as increasing recruitment channels (43.3%), promoting the employer brand (35.2%), while increasing salaries and bonuses only ranked third (29.5%) and adding benefits ranked fourth (25.7%). This imbalance makes attracting and retaining talent difficult, even when businesses are trying to recruit.
Notably, according to the report, only 23.4% of businesses plan to recruit new graduates or interns. Meanwhile, the 18-24 age group accounts for a significant proportion of the laid-off group. This reflects a paradox: the supply of young workers is abundant, but there is a lack of real opportunities to learn, try and develop. The fact that young people are "left behind" in the restructuring wave is also a serious bottleneck when considering the long-term goal of human resource quality.
“Decoding” the phenomenon of why there are many unemployed workers but businesses have difficulty recruiting, Ms. Nguyen Vo Minh Thu - Deputy Head of the Management Board of Export Processing and Industrial Zones (EPZs - IPs) of Ho Chi Minh City said that currently, the demand for recruiting unskilled workers of businesses in EPZs - IPs is still very large. Many companies are having difficulty recruiting more workers due to a series of objective and subjective barriers.
Ms. Thu said that in the past, Ho Chi Minh City was the destination for millions of workers from the provinces. However, currently, neighboring localities have strongly developed the system of industrial parks and export processing zones, creating jobs for workers on the spot. When they can work near home, without having to be far from their families or spend money on rent, many people no longer need to go to the city to find work like before. In addition, while businesses need people with certain skills and expertise, most job seekers are unskilled workers. The gap between workers' capacity and business requirements makes it difficult for the labor market to meet.
Labor market in the third quarter maintained stable momentum
Commenting on the labor market in the last months of the year, the report shows that 56.2% of enterprises said they will expand their human resources, although in a more cautious and selective manner. Most enterprises focus on recruiting business - sales (54%), production engineers (23%) and skilled general workers (20%).
In contrast, the demand for new graduates and senior management positions remains quite low. This data shows that the market has not recovered evenly but is still in the "filtering" phase, prioritizing the group that can create real value in the short term.
Similarly, referring to the prospect of the recruitment market in the third quarter of 2025, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Thanh Chuong - Director of Recruitment Services, Adecco Vietnam, commented that the recruitment market will maintain a stable momentum. Enterprises will prioritize candidates with good expertise, legal knowledge and flexibility in operations. Key positions are still focused on recruitment, with higher requirements for skills to meet future trends, adaptability and compliance.
To narrow the gap between employees and businesses, experts say that businesses need to consider the long-term consequences before deciding to cut, rebuild trust by listening and communicating, update and optimize recruitment strategies in line with employee expectations, invest in training and skills development, and apply smart technology to increase productivity and reduce pressure on remaining employees.
For workers, it is necessary to maintain a flexible and adaptable mindset, invest in continuous skill development (especially sustainable and hard-to-replace skills), proactively build a personal brand, not let insecurity influence decisions, learn carefully about the company and the market, adjust realistic financial expectations and make the most of job search tools.
Source: https://baolaocai.vn/thi-truong-lao-dong-on-dinh-post878513.html
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