Vietnam Prime Minister hosts dialogue on youth employment and AI

During the 2026 Prime Minister's Dialogue with Youth in Hanoi, Vietnamese officials addressed critical challenges facing the younger generation, including unemployment and the impact of artificial intelligence.

Minister of Home Affairs Nguyễn Tiến Hải reported that the unemployment rate for youth aged 15-24 reached 9.07% in the third quarter of 2026, significantly higher than the national average of 2.22%. Approximately 1.6 million young people are currently classified as being in the “three no” category: not employed, not in education, and not in training.

Discussions also focused on the rapid transformation of the labor market due to AI, automation, and digital transformation. To support scientific development, Minister of Science and Technology Vũ Hải Quân announced policies to empower young researchers, including scholarship programs for 1,500 outstanding students and research support for doctoral candidates that can reach up to 1 billion VND per year.

Participants highlighted the need for better alignment between educational training and market demands to ensure young people are not left behind in the era of automation.