Vietnamese Workers Struggle to Find Jobs and Provide for Families Amid Rising Unemployment

Many workers like Le Thi Nga are struggling to find jobs and earn money to support their families during the Tet (Lunar New Year) season when expenses tend to increase.

Nga and her family lost their construction jobs during mass layoffs in early 2023 and have struggled since then with only occasional temporary work.

Nga's daughter-in-law, Lam Thi Khanh Chau, also lost her job and both are desperately seeking any work they can find before Tet.

Data shows over 1 million people applied for unemployment benefits in 2023 in Vietnam, a 13% increase, with many companies laying off staff.

Sociologists say unemployed people face immense financial and psychological pressures around Tet when they compare themselves to better off relatives and their situation in prior years.