In Vietnam's technology industry, many workers speak of an 'age 35 curse'. They fear that employers see workers past that age as too expensive to keep. Recent layoffs and the rise of AI coding tools have deepened that anxiety. One 34-year-old engineer saw his company cut nearly 20 percent of junior programming roles. Carrying a large mortgage and raising two children, he responded by working around 15 hours a day. A hospital visit ended with several diagnoses, including high blood pressure and mild depression.
Medical professionals say cases like this are becoming increasingly common. Patients treated for insomnia, exhaustion, and problems such as high blood sugar are getting younger. The World Health Organization classifies burnout as a syndrome caused by unmanaged workplace stress. Its signs include lost energy, growing distance from one's job, and falling performance. For now, no nationwide figures exist, but the topic dominates Vietnamese online tech communities.