In the first nine months of 2026, the Ho Chi Minh City Employment Service Centre, under the municipal Department of Home Affairs, recorded more than 174,000 job seekers, while employers registered nearly 247,000 vacancies.
The figures indicate that workers in the city are not facing a shortage of employment opportunities. However, businesses are struggling to recruit suitable candidates.
Workers seek jobs at a jobs fair in Tan Hai Ward, Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: Employment Service Centre).
Recruitment challenges have been compounded by mismatches between labour supply and demand in terms of occupations, qualifications, skills, locations and working conditions. As a result, some industries continue to face labour shortages even though large numbers of people are seeking jobs.
The difficulty in recruiting workers has led to a new hiring trend. Companies are increasingly advertising positions without age restrictions.
According to the Employment Service Centre, employers registered more than 155,000 vacancies without specific age requirements during the first nine months of the year, accounting for nearly 63 per cent of total recruitment demand.
The centre said the trend reflects a shift in recruitment practices as labour supply becomes increasingly constrained.
For many positions, employers now place greater emphasis on an applicant's ability to perform the job, professional experience, skills and long-term commitment rather than age.
In sales, service, administrative and certain technical roles, companies are broadening age eligibility provided candidates meet skill and experience requirements.
Age requirements remain more common for physically demanding jobs, shift work, positions involving frequent travel or outdoor duties. As a result, workers aged between 18 and 35 continue to account for a large share of vacancies that specify age limits.
The Employment Service Centre forecasts that hiring demand will increase further during the final three months of the year as businesses accelerate production schedules, fulfil orders, meet revenue targets and prepare inventory and staffing for the Lunar New Year shopping season.
At the same time, employees already in work tend to be more cautious about changing jobs near year-end because of concerns related to income, Tet bonuses and existing employment benefits.
This situation is expected to further tighten labour supply, creating additional recruitment challenges, particularly in industries with high workforce demand.
To attract candidates, the Employment Service Centre has advised employers to provide clearer information on vacancies, especially regarding salaries, benefits and job descriptions.
The centre also expects recruitment without age restrictions to become increasingly common in the coming months.
