Unemployment among university graduates is rising.

According to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs' Labour Market Update, issue 15, Q3/2017, the number of unemployed people with a "university degree or higher" increased by 53,900 compared to Q2.

According to this report, the number of employed people increased compared to the previous quarter and the same period last year, particularly in the manufacturing, construction, and service industries. However, the shift in the labor structure by sector remains slow.

Salaries earned by wage earners increased compared to the second quarter of 2017 and the same period of the previous year.

Unemployment decreased slightly in both number and rate. However, the unemployment rate for those with a "university degree or higher" increased sharply compared to the second quarter of 2017.

Specifically, in the third quarter of 2017, the whole country had 1,074.8 thousand unemployed people of working age, a decrease of 6.8 thousand people compared to the second quarter of 2017 and 42.9 thousand people compared to the third quarter of 2016. The unemployment rate for people of working age decreased to 2.21%.

In the third quarter of 2017, there were 610,900 unemployed young workers, an increase of 35,800 compared to the second quarter of 2017; however, the unemployment rate decreased slightly to 7.59%.

However, the number of unemployed people with a "university degree or higher" was 237,000, an increase of 53,900 compared to the second quarter of 2017. The unemployment rate for this group was 4.51% (compared to 3.63% in the previous quarter).

The "college" level group had 84,800 unemployed people, an increase of 1,900 compared to the second quarter of 2017. The unemployment rate for this group decreased slightly to 4.88% but remains the highest.

The "intermediate" skill group has 95,500 unemployed people, an increase of 3,100, with an unemployment rate of 3.77%.

Explaining this, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Doan Mau Diep said that the second and third quarters are the time when university students graduate en masse. After graduation, graduates usually need time to find jobs or further develop their knowledge and skills. Therefore, it is normal for the number of unemployed people with degrees to increase.

A summary of recruitment and job search needs from the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs' online job portal in the third quarter of 2017 shows that:

Regarding labor recruitment needs: businesses posted 164,700 job openings, a decrease of 89,600 people (35.2%) compared to Q2/2017.

The demand for male workers accounted for 47.4% of the total, an increase of 3.8 percentage points compared to Q2/2017 (43.6%). The demand from "non-state" companies was 129,700 people (accounting for 78.8% of the total demand), a decrease of 38.1% compared to Q2/2017.

Some jobs with high recruitment demand include "simple jobs" (accounting for 58.7%, up 8.9 percentage points compared to Q2/2017); and "textile and garment manufacturing" (accounting for 18.6%, up 1.4 percentage points compared to Q1/2017).

Regarding job search needs: The number of people seeking employment was 41,000, an increase of 35.0% compared to Q2/2017. Of these, 18,500 were female workers (accounting for 45.1%), an increase of 4,900 (36.0%) compared to Q2/2017.

The highest number of job seekers were those with vocational diplomas, at 12,000 (29.4%), an increase of 3,000. This was followed by those with college degrees (21.2%) and university degrees or higher (18.6%), with increases of 2,300 and 2,200 respectively. Those without qualifications accounted for 19.0% of job seekers, an increase of 2,600 compared to Q2/2017.

The "accounting and auditing" profession had the highest number of job seekers (8,900 people, accounting for 21.7%), an increase of 1,800 people compared to Q2/2017, followed by "simple jobs" (4,500 people, accounting for 10.9%), an increase of 2,100 people compared to Q2/2017, and the "human resources" profession (2,700 people, accounting for 6.5%), an increase of 0,800 people compared to Q2/2017.

According to VNN