Unemployed workers over 30 years old
Workers over 30 years old are no longer young but do not have enough "endurance" to compete with experienced people, many people are stuck because of changes in the labor market.
Unexpectedly... unemployed
In addition to the age of 30 - an age that should be a stable period in their career - many workers suddenly fall into unemployment or struggle to find a job. No longer a new graduate student, but not yet "resistant" enough to compete in a rapidly changing labor market, many people are stuck between old standards and new requirements of businesses.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Anh (32 years old), a human resource officer at an information technology corporation in Cua Nam ward (Hanoi), said she had just received a notice to terminate her labor contract from January 10, 2026. The reason given is that the enterprise has automated some stages and added new requirements for human resources.
I was not surprised when the group cut staff, but I was surprised when the person who lost the job was me. I always think that if there is a cut, the first group will be newly recruited young workers or at least those who have not been there for a long time. I am confident in my age, my attachment and my "profession", but it turns out that in the current context, the things I think are advantages are not much value," Thuy Anh shared.
Many years of working in the human resources sector help Ms. Thuy Anh clearly understand the labor market trend. However, it was that confidence that prevented her from preparing for the unexpected turn. When human resource management and artificial intelligence software are put into operation, some positions no longer need as many human resources as before.
Ms. Thuy Anh's story is not unique. Mr. Nguyen Duc Phuc (43 years old), a game developed by a player working in Cau Giay ward (Hanoi), said that over 30 year old workers were once considered the core force in the enterprise thanks to their seniority and stability. However, that is changing very quickly.
Current enterprises prioritize young workers, who are versatile, proficient in new technology, ready to endure high pressure and accept flexible salaries. Meanwhile, many workers over 30 years old are used to a fixed position or process for many years and have little training. When the operating model changes, they quickly become " inflated", even though basic working capacity still exists," said Mr. Phuc.
Experience is no longer a factor to ensure safety
Not only office workers or technology workers, this situation also occurs in many other fields.
Ms. Doan Thi Mai is a garment worker in Viet Hung ward (Hanoi). After 15 years of stopping at work, at the age of 33, Ms. Mai is among the group of more than 22 workers who lost their jobs after the Lunar New Year 2026.
My company has just announced that a group of 22 workers, spread across departments, will lose their jobs at the end of the first quarter of 2026. We still receive Tet bonuses, but perhaps this is my sadest Tet. I don't know how to start applying for another job because I am too familiar with my current job. I have discussed with the human resources department, all those who are off this period of the company have carefully considered and the reason is very legitimate. For example, accounting staff quit because the company no longer needs data entry and marking staff after using automatic software; sewing line workers are replaced by some types of machines for high productivity and accuracy, said Ms. Mai.
Not only Ms. Mai, in industrial parks, many workers aged 3545 are forced to quit when businesses invest in automation lines and modern machinery. In the fields of services, retail, and logistics, older workers face disadvantages in terms of health, ability to rotate shifts and work pressure.
For unskilled workers, age has become a major barrier. When health declined, while the demand for work became increasingly arduous, many people were eliminated from the formal labor market and had to switch to seasonal work, freely with unstable income.
The common point of these workers is that they do not lose their jobs because of laziness or lack of responsibility, but because the labor market has changed the rules of the game. Old experience - once a "insurance" for stability - is no longer enough to ensure occupational safety.
This reality poses a paradox: many workers have been working for decades but are still considered "lacking experience", because their experience no longer meets new requirements. This is also the reason why the over 30-year-old labor group has become one of the most vulnerable groups in the current labor market.
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