Labor shortage during Tet holiday.
Towards the end of the year, orders surge, and businesses face severe labor shortages. The race to recruit workers is heating up as Tet (Lunar New Year) approaches.
Desperate to find workers
At the end of the year, Hai An General Trading and Service Company Limited is urgently recruiting drivers and loaders to meet the surge in orders. With an income of 7-12 million VND per month, despite posting job advertisements since the beginning of December, the company has still not been able to recruit enough drivers. Company representative Mr. Nguyen Duc Phong said: “Recruiting drivers and loaders during the period leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year) is extremely difficult. Those with experience and meeting the recruitment criteria already have stable jobs, and the need for seasonal overtime is very low.”
House cleaning is also a lucrative service during Tet (Lunar New Year). These days, the house cleaning team run by Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Phuong in Hung Binh ward, Vinh City, is fully booked for the entire month of December. Every day, she receives dozens of booking calls, but due to a shortage of staff, she cannot accept any more orders. Ms. Thanh Phuong said: “We’ve been constantly trying to recruit more people, but we haven’t been able to find any for the past month.”
Since the beginning of December, a coffee shop on Vuong Thuc Mau Street has been posting job advertisements on job boards but hasn't been able to recruit anyone. Mr. Hoang Van Tuan, the shop manager, said: "Before, during, and after Tet (Lunar New Year), the number of customers is very high. Anticipating this situation, we posted job advertisements on our fanpage and registered on various channels, but without success. Previously, we required staff to have experience or training in bartending, but now we only need workers aged 18-30 who are healthy to hire them." According to Mr. Tuan, the income of a barista working 8-10 hours a day is 10-12 million VND/month. Even those working less can earn around 5-6 million VND/month. This is considered a fairly ideal income for students looking for part-time work during the Tet holiday or after the New Year. However, finding people to work on this occasion is still very difficult.
InProvincial Employment Service CenterIn the last month of the year, a large number of businesses participate in the seasonal labor recruitment market. Some businesses advertise positions with very high salaries such as: Sales and Customer Service Manager (average 55-60 million VND/month); Marketing Staff (25-30 million VND/month); Sales/Restaurant Manager (15-20 million VND); Factory Manager (35-40 million VND/month)... Positions for untrained or experienced workers in the garment, electronics assembly, and footwear industries will offer salaries from 10-12 million VND/month. However, recruiting suitable personnel to meet the seasonal job requirements at the end of the year remains a challenge for these businesses.
In the fourth quarter of 2024, the Provincial Employment Service Center received recruitment requests from 182 units. The total number of positions needed reached 22,094, of which 20,653 were for workers without degrees or certificates. However, in December alone, 61 units registered to recruit 5,938 workers, of which 5,504 were for workers without degrees or certificates.
Mr. Tran Huu Thuong - Deputy Director of the Provincial Employment Service Center
Beware of "easy jobs with high pay."
According to a representative from the Provincial Employment Service Center, the peak periods for job market activity are also when the "easy job, high pay" scams thrive. These fraudulent websites often feature sections advertising job openings with salaries ranging from 20 to 30 million VND per month, with the possibility of hourly pay if needed. The work is described as extremely easy, requiring only visiting designated fan pages and sharing links or commenting on advertisements. "However, if job seekers click on the links, a series of unexpected problems may arise; they could very well fall into the scam and lose all their money," the Provincial Employment Service Center official warned.
In addition, there are other types of scams such as requiring deposit money to secure employment; recruiting for day shifts but then requiring employees to work night shifts, threatening termination and loss of deposit if they refuse...
To curb labor and employment scams, the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs has advised localities, training institutions, and job placement centers to disseminate information about issues to be wary of. At the same time, it requested these units to strengthen the dissemination of information to the public, especially students and pupils seeking seasonal work during the end of the year and the Lunar New Year period. This includes being vigilant against scams that exploit the desire for quick, high-paying jobs with no specific requirements; and providing a list of authorized job placement service providers for workers to verify.
According to Mr. Tran Phi Hung, Head of the Employment, Labor, and Occupational Safety Department of the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, there is currently one employment service center and 21 companies licensed to operate employment services in the province. The list of these units is publicly available on the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs' website for workers to search for information.
In 2025, the entire province will need 40,000 - 50,000 workers, with approximately 6,000 needed in January alone. This will focus on sectors such as garment manufacturing, footwear, electronic components, and industries producing goods for the Lunar New Year market and meeting the production and business needs of the new year.
Mr. Tran Phi Hung - Head of the Employment - Labor - Occupational Safety Department, Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs
