Lack of human resources in the leather, footwear and textile industry

In the last months of the year, when export orders in the footwear and textile industries increased again, the production atmosphere in many factories gradually became more vibrant. However, that joy was accompanied by the worry of labor shortage - a problem that is making many businesses struggle to meet the delivery schedule of orders during the peak season at the end of the year.

In recent months, the company has received additional orders that can be produced until the end of the year and even into the first quarter of 2026. However, unlike the previous period, the company has not signed any new contracts due to a lack of workers. To maintain production, the company has been forced to rehire retired workers and even workers up to 45 years old.

Mr. Le Huu Doan - General Director of Hong Bao Shoe Company, Hanoi City said: "Attracting workers is very difficult, the number of workers in the company is aging but cannot be recruited. That is the current difficulty of the company".

The income of workers in the footwear industry has reached over 14 million VND/month, but recruitment is still very difficult. Most workers in this industry are over 30 years old and it is very difficult to recruit young people. This situation does not only occur in the footwear industry, but is also common in the textile industry, where the demand for highly skilled human resources is increasing rapidly.

Mr. Phi Quang Duc - General Director of Hung Long Garment Company, Hung Yen province shared: "It is very difficult to attract workers. We have determined that we must retain workers, and secondly, find solutions to keep them committed. In fact, businesses still have a need to recruit workers, but attracting workers is very difficult during this period."

According to experts, in the context of technological transformation and labor restructuring, taking advantage of older labor resources may be a suitable solution.

Mr. Hoang Quang Phong - Vice President of the Vietnam Federation of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) commented: "There are businesses that are short of labor, there must be more appropriate recruitment policies to ensure that there are workers working in the business, maintain jobs as well as maintain the completion of orders".

In the context of young workers and unskilled workers tending to work more freely, the leather, footwear and garment industry should consider older workers as a new recruitment direction. Many older workers can still work well. This not only helps businesses stabilize production but also contributes to creating income and reducing poverty for workers in rural areas.

Source: https://vtv.vn/thieu-nhan-luc-nganh-da-giay-det-may-100251021212257603.htm