Middle-aged workers face hiring challenges in Ho Chi Minh City as firms favor younger staff

More than 52,600 people are seeking jobs while businesses are recruiting about 82,700 positions, with demand uneven across age groups, skills and sectors, according to data from the city’s Center for Employment Services.

The municipal Department of Home Affairs said companies tend to favor younger workers to improve operational efficiency and adapt more quickly to new technologies and processes.

Many middle-aged workers, despite having experience, seek new jobs to improve income or working conditions but often prioritize stability due to family and financial pressures.

From January 1 to March 31, about 32,988 people received unemployment benefits in the city, including 18,109 aged 30 to 45, accounting for 54 percent of the total.

To support job seekers, the Center for Employment Services has organized in-person and online job fairs and expanded outreach to connect workers with employers.

Authorities are also working directly with businesses to assess hiring demand, strengthen labor matching and promote regional labor mobility.

Unemployed middle-aged workers are being encouraged to retrain or acquire new vocational skills to improve their job prospects.