HCMC to host massive job fair amid labor shortages

Many businesses are currently seeking to hire new employees, while others are facing challenges and have had to scale back operations, leading to massive layoffs.

Therefore, organizing regional job fairs is crucial to connecting businesses with job seekers. HCMC has been actively facilitating these job fairs to ensure employment opportunities for workers, both those coming from other provinces to HCMC and those returning to their hometowns.

In the first half of 2024, HCMC collaborated with provinces in the Mekong Delta, Southeast region, and other localities to organize 32 job fairs. These fairs provided job counseling to over 112,000 individuals and introduced job opportunities to 11,665 laborers in need.

Additionally, businesses in HCMC created 166,135 new job opportunities and facilitated employment for over 74,000 individuals. Moreover, over 4,100 people were sent to work abroad.

It is forecast that in the last half of this year, HCMC will need up to 161,500 laborers, including about 108,000 positions in the commerce and service sectors (accounting for 67 percent of the total labor demand), followed by the industry and construction ones at nearly 33 percent. The need for trained human resources will be up to 141,600 positions, comprising about 88 percent.

These figures indicate a substantial and diverse demand for labor across various sectors and skill levels in HCMC. However, many businesses are struggling to find suitable candidates. Meanwhile, several unemployed individuals are either waiting for better opportunities, hesitant to seek employment, or unable to find jobs that align with their qualifications and desired income.

Aware of that, HCMC is going to cooperate with provinces in the Mekong Delta, Southeast region, and neighboring provinces to organize a regional job fair on July 31. This event will be held both in-person at FPT Polytechnic College (located inside Quang Trung Software City in District 12 of HCMC) and online through platforms like Skype and Zoom.

The in-person event in HCMC is expected to attract 50-60 businesses and 1,200-1,500 job seekers. The online event in other provinces is anticipated to draw over 100 businesses and 1,000-1,200 job seekers.

This regional job fair is expected to effectively connect job searchers with employment opportunities in a wider geographic area. Provinces with abundant labor supply can provide workers to both local businesses and those in other localities with recruitment needs. Conversely, businesses in need of laborers will have more chances to find suitable candidates.