Middle-aged workers struggle to find jobs

Many older workers seek job opportunities at the City Employment Service Center.

'Narrow door' for older workers

Mr. Pham Van Cuong, 54 years old, from Thanh Ha commune, used to work at Thanh Ha Road Management Department. Since January 2025, after this unit and many other traffic management departments of Hai Duong province (old) were dissolved, he has been unemployed. Although he is receiving unemployment benefits, Mr. Cuong is still actively looking for a job but has not been successful. “I went to many companies that need to recruit and participated in job transactions organized by Hai Phong Employment Service Center, but was not accepted. Partly because of my age, partly because some suitable jobs are far from home, requiring shift work so I cannot follow them,” said Mr. Cuong.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoat, 48 years old, used to be a worker at a cement factory in Nhi Chieu ward for nearly 10 years. After her health declined due to the toxic working environment, she was forced to quit to find a more suitable job. For nearly a year, she tried many different jobs but could only maintain them for a short time. She used to work at an agricultural processing facility near her home, but did not have a labor contract, did not pay social insurance, and earned only about 5 million VND/month, not enough to cover expenses and raise two children.

There are currently more than 48,000 businesses operating in the city. According to the Hai Phong Employment Service Center, the end of the year is when many businesses increase recruitment to meet orders. However, most employers are hesitant to recruit older workers due to the requirement of overtime, shift work, and high work pressure, which many people over 40 years old find difficult to meet.

Records from job exchanges show that most recruitment announcements limit the age from 18 to under 40 years old. Although there are still opportunities for workers over 40 years old, they are often focused on jobs such as: domestic help, industrial cleaning, security, or seasonal labor. In addition, many businesses, although not public in their announcements, still tend to prioritize young people, especially in positions that require the ability to quickly adapt to technology, high work intensity and long-term commitment.

Supply and demand are difficult to meet

Workers attend a job fair at 735 Nguyen Van Linh. Photo: Hai Phong Employment Service Center.

At the regular job fair on September 15 at Hai Phong Employment Service Center, Facility 1, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoat was advised by an employee of Masan HD Company Limited about the position of a seasonal product packaging worker. This is a job that does not require high technical skills and is suitable for middle-aged people. However, because the job is far from where she lives and is only a seasonal job, with no insurance or clear welfare policies, she refused.

Ms. Pham Minh Thao, 46 years old, used to work at a company in VSIP industrial park, quit her job for nearly a year due to health reasons. When looking for a job again, Ms. Thao wants to work office hours, no overtime and be guaranteed full benefits such as social insurance and health insurance. However, these requirements make it difficult for her to approach employers.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan, a job consultant at the Hai Phong City Employment Service Center, said that the demand for labor at local businesses continues to increase, especially in the last months of the year. Some businesses flexibly extend the recruitment age to 45 years old, even 55 years old to meet production needs. The group of older workers possesses many advantages such as: extensive experience, high sense of discipline, especially stability in life, can spend more time and enthusiasm on work. However, older workers face many barriers from themselves.

“Many people do not know how to ride a motorbike so they cannot work in remote areas; many older people want to do administrative work, without shifts, but require the same income and benefits as young skilled workers. The gap between workers' desires and the reality of recruitment makes it difficult for "supply and demand" to meet,” Ms. Lan analyzed. Ms. Lan believes that there are jobs for older workers. The problem lies in the fact that workers need to lower their standards and be more flexible in choosing jobs.

Mr. Nguyen Tuyen Huan, Director of Vietnam Human Resources Supply and Training Joint Stock Company, said that finding a job at the age of over 40, especially for workers who have lost their jobs, is very difficult. Therefore, it is necessary to strongly promote the role of state agencies in building mechanisms to encourage businesses to recruit older workers. Policies to support vocational training, skill conversion, and job referrals for unemployed workers also need to be focused on.

Along with that, coordination between job placement centers, trade unions, and local authorities is extremely necessary to effectively connect workers and businesses. And above all, older workers also need to proactively improve their professional skills, improve their health, and adapt to new job requirements in order to continue participating in the labor market in a sustainable way.

HA VY

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/lao-dong-trung-nien-chat-vat-tim-viec-lam-521550.html