This paper utilizes the data from the Survey Assessment of Vietnamese Youth (SAVY) to outline the current situation of work and employment of Vietnamese youths, arguing that their school-to-work transition is quite limited. With a special focus on identifying risk and protective factors during the school-to-work transition of youth, the paper examines the health risk behaviors of youth groups with different work experience and the ability of young people to be employed given their demand for jobs, skills, training, and capability to work. The findings reveal that the family in which a young person lives serves as an important factor in determining the youth employment experience. The paper concludes with policy implications aimed at improving the current situation of youth work and employment in Vietnam as the country enters into a new phase of development.