Ho Chi Minh City faces graduate surplus, skilled worker deficit

Ho Chi Minh City's labor market is experiencing a significant imbalance, with an oversupply of university graduates seeking employment and a critical shortage of skilled, non-degree technical workers.

In May 2026, the city's Job Service Center reported that demand for workers outstripped the number of job seekers. Businesses sought 21,895 positions, while only 19,974 individuals were looking for work. The most in-demand sectors included general labor and simple tasks (over 27%), machine operation and skilled manufacturing (over 14%), and sales and business (nearly 15%).

However, the disparity is stark when examining educational qualifications. There were 4,388 university graduates seeking jobs, far exceeding the 1,643 positions requiring a degree, a surplus of 2.67 times the demand. Conversely, the city faces a severe deficit in mid-level, college, and vocational workers without degrees. For instance, businesses needed 5,850 such workers but only found 2,883 candidates.

"Sectors previously affected by instability, such as real estate, project development, and sales, are now experiencing peak labor shortages," stated Nguyen Van Hanh Thuc, Director of the Job Service Center. The real estate sector, for example, had 598 openings but only 6 applicants, while sales needed 3,233 workers but had only 934 seekers.

This situation reflects a broader trend where job seekers increasingly prioritize stable employment over roles with fluctuating, commission-based incomes. The human resources, administration, and office support sector also has a surplus of labor, with 1,677 job seekers for limited openings.

Despite these specific shortages, the overall economic recovery in the first five months of 2026 has boosted recruitment. The Job Service Center has actively facilitated job matching, leading to a significant decrease in unemployment by over 24% compared to the previous year, from more than 90,000 to over 68,000 individuals.

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Sectors previously affected by instability, such as real estate, project development, and sales, are now experiencing peak labor shortages.