Young people are actively unemployed.

"Salary is necessary but not the most important thing," said the 25-year-old man from Thach That, Hanoi.

When Tuan Anh planned to quit his job, his friends and relatives advised him to find a new job first. He still decided to apply because he felt it was unnecessary to waste more time with a job that was no longer interesting and toxic.

When he was still working, Tuan Anh continuously took on work from morning to night. Many times he had to ask for weekend leave to sleep but was refused by his boss. After three years of working but his salary did not increase, what Tuan Anh got was many digestive and bone and joint diseases.

"My only wish is to find a job that balances work and personal life," Tuan Anh said.

Ngoc Minh, 27 years old, in Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City, is also in the "active unemployment" phase, with no intention of finding a new job. Her family has good economic conditions, and her parents are willing to provide for her, making Minh even more comfortable. For her, going to work is an opportunity to demonstrate her abilities, be recognized, and expand her knowledge. If those requirements are not met, Minh is ready to quit her job.

Three months ago, she quit her job at a media company because of disagreements with her boss. According to her, her former boss was quite conservative, ignored her suggestions, and often threatened to fire and deduct salaries from his subordinates. But when the whole team achieved high results, there was not a single word of praise.

"He took my efforts for granted while I just needed recognition," Minh said. In the past three months, she received many job offers but turned them all down because she "didn't rest enough."

According to the 2023 Remuneration Report by Vietnam-based HR outsourcing company Talentnet, young workers are increasingly quitting their jobs even though they haven’t found a new one yet. Their main purpose is to have time off from work to learn more skills, prepare for new challenges, or regain work-life balance.

Easily quitting a job seems to be a characteristic of Gen Z workers. Talentnet's research recorded the average tenure of this group of employees with a company of about 1.7 years. Anphabe's survey at the end of 2023 gave similar results of about 2.2 years, much lower than the 4.3 years of the previous generation.

A survey by a job information site in the first 6 months of 2024 recorded that 85% of workers wanted to change jobs. The 18-24 age group led with a rate of more than 96%, 89% in the 25-34 age group.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Do Minh Cuong, Vietnam Association for Corporate Culture Development, young people today have many opportunities for development, so instead of finding a stable job until retirement like the previous generation, Gen Z can work as a freelancer, start a business or make money on social networking platforms.

This generation also does not have to bear the financial burden of being supported by their parents, even when they are adults. This is the reason why the decision to "actively become unemployed" is easier.

Explaining why many young workers are responding to the trend of quitting their jobs, Ms. Luong Thi Huong, Director of D'ANSHIN Service Co., Ltd., an internal training instructor for Panasonic Corporation in Vietnam, said there are many reasons.

First, Gen Z has more experience and experience because of a richer living environment than previous generations. They are talented and dynamic, so they want to find a leader with enough courage to support employees in their career development. They also want to demonstrate their abilities, and hope to have the right to make decisions and lead.

However, this generation is also very fragile. They hope to be understood, loved, motivated, inspired, and recognized by their superiors through praise and recognition instead of imposition.

"Everyone has the right to voluntary unemployment, but young workers who are out of work for too long can easily become bored and have difficulty adapting to the new environment," Ms. Huong warned. This also negatively affects production activities and "brain drain" of businesses.

The General Statistics Office's report on the labor and employment situation in the third quarter of 2024 shows that the country has about 1.4 million unemployed young people who are not studying or training (accounting for 10.7%), an increase of 75,300 people compared to the previous quarter. Meanwhile, many businesses need workers but cannot recruit them, according to the Department of Employment, Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs.

Ms. Luong Thi Huong emphasized the importance of adjusting the management style of business leaders. According to her, today's leaders must accept the differences of young employees, know how to take advantage of their strengths, and overcome their limitations by listening, understanding, empathizing, and leading instead of giving orders. "When managers understand what employees want and give them what they need, young employees will definitely be attached and devoted to the company," Ms. Huong said.

Mr. Thanh Duy, 40 years old, marketing manager of a corporation in Hanoi, once encountered problems when many young employees suddenly quit their jobs. To avoid affecting work efficiency, this man sought out a management course. He also spent time sharing with employees to better understand each person's family background and aspirations.

Through the discussions, the 40-year-old manager gradually changed. He tried to empower young employees by letting them manage small teams, constantly praising individuals with good achievements. "Just small changes, but now I have created a strong Gen Z team. They are united in their work, not afraid to take risks and contribute," said Mr. Duy.

For Tuan Anh, although he has been unemployed for two months and lives on his parents' allowance, he insists that he will only go to work when he finds a job he loves.

"I couldn't bear to quit my job. I like going to work but I don't want it to take up all my free time," said the 25-year-old.