Young people attent a job fair. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Even as labour conditions showed signs of recovery late last year, Việt Nam still had about 1.4 million young people aged 15 to 24 who were unemployed or not engaged in education or training in the fourth quarter, underscoring persistent challenges facing youth in the job market, according to the General Statistics Office under the Ministry of Finance.

The figure accounted for 10.2 per cent of the country’s total youth population.

While the number of young people who were neither working nor studying fell by 169,200 compared to the previous quarter, it rose by 124,300 from the same period a year earlier.

The rate stood at 11.7 per cent in urban areas and 8 per cent in rural areas. Young women accounted for 12.1 per cent, compared with 8.3 per cent among young men.

The unemployment rate among those aged 15 to 24 was 9.04 per cent, higher than both the previous quarter and the same period of previous years.

Notably, youth unemployment remained more pronounced in cities than in the countryside, at 11.1 per cent and 7.8 per cent, respectively.

Among the working-age population, the unemployment rate stood at 2.2 per cent, up from the previous quarter and unchanged compared with the same period of 2024.

The report clarified that an unemployed person is defined as someone aged 15 or older who, during the reference period, meets all three criteria of 'not currently in employment, actively seeking work and available for work.'

Figures for the whole of 2025 showed the unemployment rate among young people aged 15 to 24 reached 8.6 per cent, an increase year on year. The rate was 11.2 per cent in urban areas and 7 per cent in rural areas.

The unemployment rate among the working-age population was 2.2 per cent, down year on year, including 2.5 per cent in urban areas and 2 per cent in rural areas.

In addition, the report noted that in 2025 more than 772,000 working-age people were underemployed, a decrease of 81,300 compared with the previous year.

According to the National Statistics Office, the average monthly income of workers in Việt Nam in 2025 reached VNĐ8.4 million (US$320), an increase of 8.9 per cent, or VNĐ685,000 ($26), year on year.

Average monthly income for male workers stood at VNĐ9.5 million ($360), compared with VNĐ7.2 million ($275) for female workers. Workers in urban areas earned an average of VNĐ10.1 million ($380) per month, while those in rural areas received VNĐ7.3 million ($276).

The report also said that labour and employment conditions in the fourth quarter of 2025 showed clear signs of improvement, with growth in the labour force, the number of people in employment and average monthly income compared with both the previous quarter and the same period of 2024.

However, the figure of 1.4 million young people who were neither in education nor employment partly reflects the difficulties young people face in securing jobs, highlighting the need for authorities to strengthen career counselling, vocational guidance and early job placement support for youth.