Workers learn more skills after Tet to avoid job loss risk

Worry about job loss has not cooled down

According to forecasts from the Hanoi Employment Service Center, immediately after the Lunar New Year holiday, recruitment demand will increase sharply in many fields such as manufacturing, logistics, retail, information technology, and customer care. In Hanoi, many businesses have increased recruitment demand by 15-30% compared to the fourth quarter of 2025 to compensate for workers quitting their jobs after Tet. However, alongside that "warm" picture is the anxiety of workers.

A survey by the Hanoi Employment Service Center shows that about 40-45% of working people are concerned about the risk of job loss or income reduction in 2026. The reasons come from businesses tightening costs, stronger automation and higher requirements for productivity and multi-skilled work. For many workers, especially in the 30-45 age group, "stability" is no longer a sustainable state.

Previously, learning more skills was often associated with the goal of increasing salaries and promotion, but now, the most common motivation is "keeping the job". Many workers admit that just being assessed as "hard to adapt" or "capacity not keeping up with new requirements", the risk of being replaced is very clear," said Mr. Vu Quang Thanh - Deputy Director of Hanoi Employment Service Center.

Ms. Nguyen Thuc Anh - Director of Nhat Thong Digital Technology Training Center (Lang ward, Hanoi) - said that short-term courses after Tet at the center recorded an increase in registration volume of about 25% compared to the same period. Notably, the skill group that is of interest is not only deep expertise, but also "life-supporting" skills such as using digital tools, basic data analysis, communication - reporting, time management, multitasking.

The silent but stressful race

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan Huong - former Director of the Institute of Labor Science and Social Affairs, digital transformation is creeping into most industries, from manufacturing, commerce to administration, and services. This makes digital skills from being a competitive advantage, now become a minimum requirement. It is estimated that about 60% of current job positions have requirements related to digital skills at different levels. However, the proportion of trained workers with appropriate certificates and degrees still has a significant gap. This gap creates great learning pressure, especially for unskilled workers and middle-aged workers.

Mr. Nguyen Hoang Khai - IT employee of ITS Software Company (Cau Giay ward, Hanoi) - shared that at his own company, the "skills race" after Tet takes place quite quietly.

Many workers take advantage of studying in the evening, weekends, and even online studying during lunch breaks. Many people accept cutting personal expenses, spending from 1-3 million VND per month on courses, considering this as a "compulsory investment". I myself am also spending about 3 million VND/month on extra classes," Mr. Khai said.

According to Mr. Le Quang Thanh, the pressure to improve the qualifications of workers comes not only from businesses, but also from the market itself. When a recruitment position requires "3-5 years of experience, proficiency in many skills", workers understand that if they do not proactively upgrade themselves, they will quickly be pushed out of the game.

Workers need to learn selectively, avoid the psychology of chasing trends. Instead of learning too many discrete skills, focus on groups of skills closely linked to current jobs or medium-term career orientation. Foundation skills such as digital thinking, communication, labor discipline, and quick learning ability are assessed to have a longer "lifespan" than pure tool skills. At the same time, learning needs to go hand in hand with practice and demonstrate competence in work, because businesses increasingly value practical efficiency more than certificates," Mr. Vu Quang Thanh affirmed.

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