Vietnam Manpower Blog

 Japan accounts for over 58% of the total 70,000 Vietnamese workers sent abroad in the first half of the year, according to the Overseas Labor Management Department. At a press conference on June 20, Mr. Phạm Viết Hương, Deputy Director of the Department of Overseas Labor Management under the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs, stated that Japan alone had received nearly 40,600 workers. Taiwan followed with more than 27,300 workers, South Korea with over 5,500, and China with 1,081 male workers. Canada received 39 workers as it is currently pushing forward with negotiations. Japan has been receiving Vietnamese laborers for over 30 years in various fields, with contracts ranging from 3 to 5 years. Just a week ago, both sides agreed to increase the number of trainees in the caregiving sector, with an expected 40 workers this year and 500 workers over the next five years. The new agreement expands both the recruitment group and the conditions for sending workers, as Japan...

 The monthly income of Vietnamese workers in South Korea ranges from 1,600 to 2,000 USD, while in traditional markets like Malaysia, it is around 400 to 600 USD. The Vietnam Migration Profile 2023 , published by the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the end of October, provides income statistics from key labor markets where Vietnamese workers are employed. Workers in South Korea earn the highest wages, ranging from 1,600 to 2,000 USD, followed by Japan with 1,200 to 1,500 USD, Taiwan with 800 to 1,200 USD, and some European countries offering similar rates. The Middle East and Malaysia report lower wages, approximately 600 to 1,000 USD for skilled workers and 400 to 600 USD per month for unskilled workers. Vietnamese workers participating in the EPS program exam for employment in South Korea in 2023. Photo: Ngọc Thành The majority of receiving markets offer minimum wages much higher than in Vietnam. In 2022, the minimum wage in major labor markets like Japan...

 Each year, around 7,000 workers return to Vietnam from Japan and South Korea, with many achieving entrepreneurial success, while others struggle to adapt to the domestic job market. At the job fair for returnees held on November 8, Mr. Đặng Huy Hồng, Director of the Overseas Labor Center under the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs, shared that over the past 20 years, nearly 150,000 workers have gone abroad for employment, including 140,000 to South Korea under the EPS Program and 9,000 to Japan under the IM Japan Program. Mr. Hồng considered this a potential workforce resource, with many returnees possessing language skills, technical expertise, financial stability, and serving as cultural bridges between Vietnam and foreign countries. While there are no official statistics on how many returnees secure jobs after coming back, many have successfully found employment at Japanese and South Korean FDI companies through job connection events. Some have taken on managerial...

FDI companies are seeking laborers who have returned from South Korea for positions such as translators or machine operators, but language skills have become a barrier for many. At the job fair for workers returning from South Korea and Japan in Hanoi on November 8, Ms. Dương Hồng Vân, in charge of human resources at a company specializing in coating components in Thái Nguyên, was looking for candidates for three positions: translator, accountant, and production manager. After three hours of interviews, Ms. Vân found a suitable candidate for the accountant position, and was considering a production manager applicant who only had basic knowledge of Korean. As for the translator position, no one met the requirements, despite it being the most anticipated role before heading to Hanoi. The job required someone proficient in languages to teach Vietnamese to Korean employees and teach Korean to the office staff for communication with colleagues. The FDI company employs more than 1,000 worker...

Vietnamese labor for export is becoming increasingly scarce, with many Japanese labor unions complaining that they have to look for workers in other countries, according to the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs. "The biggest obstacle for labor export companies now is selecting workers. Most companies report that it is very difficult," said Deputy Minister Nguyễn Bá Hoan at a seminar on improving the quality and effectiveness of labor export organized by Người Lao Động newspaper on December 18. According to Mr. Hoan, this situation contrasts with the past, when companies' main challenge was securing contracts with foreign partners. Nowadays, there are many contracts, but finding workers is extremely difficult. This is causing domestic companies to struggle in fulfilling their commitments with foreign partners. The Ministry has noted a decrease in the number of workers being sent by many large, established companies in the industry. The Ministry of Labor, Inv...

 The Overseas Labor Center is currently recruiting workers for Australia in the field of meat slaughtering and Halal meat processing, offering a monthly salary of approximately 60 million VND. On December 23, the Overseas Labor Center (Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs) announced the recruitment of workers for a program based on a Memorandum of Understanding between Vietnam and Australia. This initiative aims to support Vietnamese workers in the agricultural sector in Australia. The first batch of recruitment is for 30 workers in the meat processing sector. The positions include 15 workers for Halal meat slaughtering, with the remaining 15 for meat processing roles. The contract will last for 4 years. The Australian company is particularly looking to hire 15 Muslim workers for Halal slaughtering roles, who will receive training according to Halal practices, while the other 15 positions will be for meat processing. Halal Standards : Halal refers to products or actions ...

10 years ago, my friends working in Japan earned 20-30 million VND per month as the norm, but now my cousin sends less than 10 million VND back to pay off his debts. "Last year, my cousin worked in an industrial park with a monthly salary of 12 million VND. He was persuaded by a recruiter to go to Japan, with an initial cost of 180 million VND. After arriving, the yen dropped in value, and after deducting living expenses, he could only send back 9 million VND a month to pay off the debt. Ten years ago, five of my friends went to Japan, some for labor export and others for studying abroad. Back then, hearing about their monthly salaries of 20-30 million VND was normal. Today, of the five, only one engineer remains in Japan. The others have gone to different countries: one to the UK, another to South Korea, and one to Germany. My friend, who went to Japan to study and later worked as a restaurant manager, eventually returned to Vietnam, now earning just 6 million VND per month. Acco...

Many impoverished rural areas in Tuyên Quang are gradually transforming, with new, solid houses emerging, thanks to money sent back by laborers working abroad. The reality shows that labor export in this mountainous province has yielded positive results. In 2011, Mrs. Lê Thị Chanh from Tan Bien 1 village borrowed 50 million VND from the Agricultural and Rural Development Bank of Yen Son District (Tuyên Quang) along with savings from her family to send her eldest son to work abroad in Taiwan (China). At that time, it was a bold decision, but it brought about significant changes for the entire family. "My family had three children and was classified as poor, with a lack of farmland, so life was difficult and we constantly worried about food. My children were aware of this, so after high school, I decided to risk sending one child abroad to see if life would improve. Fortunately, my eldest son found consistent work in Taiwan, sending money back to pay off debts, and the younger two a...

 According to the Department of Overseas Labor Management (Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs), Japan has announced plans to expand its foreign worker program under the "Specified Skills" visa category. Notably, skilled workers will also be able to sponsor family members to live with them in Japan. Under the expanded list, nine additional sectors will be open to skilled workers under the Specified Skills (Type 2) visa. These include industries such as agriculture, machinery manufacturing, shipbuilding, building cleaning, food services, restaurants, hotels, and more. This expansion is part of Japan's strategy to address its labor shortage amid an aging population. Previously, workers under this program could only work long-term in two sectors: construction and shipbuilding. With the expansion, workers in agriculture, manufacturing, and services will now also have the opportunity to stay long-term in Japan. In reality, the new program is still awaiting approval...

Unlike in the past, thanks to effective communication efforts, many people in Dak Nong Province have shown increasing interest in working abroad. This activity not only provides workers with high incomes that can lead to rapid and sustainable poverty reduction but also serves as an effective method for improving the quality of the workforce. Labor Export Achieves 301% of the Annual Plan In recent years, the Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs (DoLISA) of Dak Nong has focused on promoting labor export programs. First, the department introduced reputable companies that collaborated with local authorities to recruit workers. Along with these activities, the department also increased efforts to spread information on government policies, workers' rights, and responsibilities before going abroad for work. In 2023, the department coordinated with local districts and cities to hold 8 training conferences aimed at enhancing the capacity of officials involved in sending workers...

 Workers in three districts and towns in Nghe An province will be eligible to participate in the first round of the 2024 South Korea labor selection exam. According to information from the Overseas Labor Center (Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs), the labor selection process for South Korea in the first round of 2024 will take place nationwide, without the temporary suspension measures that were previously applied in certain localities, except for some specialized sectors such as agriculture and fisheries. The first labor selection exam for South Korea in 2024 is expected to recruit 15,400 workers across five industries. The localities that had previously been suspended from recruitment but are now eligible to participate again include: Nghi Xuan and Cam Xuyen districts (Ha Tinh), Chi Linh City (Hai Duong), Dong Son and Hoang Hoa districts (Thanh Hoa), and the towns of Cua Lo, Nghi Loc, and Hung Nguyen (Nghe An). On January 9, in an interview with reporters, Mr. Trần ...

 Many poor rural areas in Tuyen Quang are gradually changing, with new, sturdy houses being built thanks to remittances from laborers working abroad. In fact, labor export in this mountainous province has proven to be a highly effective development strategy. In 2011, Mrs. Lê Thị Chanh from Tan Bien 1 village borrowed 50 million VND from the Agricultural and Rural Development Bank in Yen Son (Tuyen Quang) and used her family's savings to send her eldest son to work in Taiwan (China). At the time, it was a bold decision, but it ultimately brought significant changes to the family. "Our family had three children, and we were one of the poor households in the village, lacking farming land, so life was difficult, and we always worried about food. My children were aware of the situation, so after they finished high school, I took a risk and sent one of them abroad to see if things would improve. Fortunately, my eldest son found steady work in Taiwan, sent money back to pay off debts...

 In recent years, the number of Vietnamese workers going to Japan has accounted for 50% of the total number of Vietnamese workers going abroad each year. According to the Department of Overseas Labor Management (Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs), the number of Vietnamese workers going to Japan in the past five years is as follows: In 2018, there were 68,737 workers; in 2019, 82,703; in 2020, 38,891; in 2021, 19,510; and in 2022, 67,295. In 2023, the number of Vietnamese workers in Japan reached nearly 80,000, the highest number ever recorded. The National Institute of Population and Social Security Research of Japan forecasts that Japan's population will decrease by nearly a third by 2070, dropping to around 86.9 million people, with those aged 65 and older accounting for 40% of the population. A major concern is that while the elderly population is increasing, the birth rate is declining. In 2022, Japan's total fertility rate (TFR), which indicates the average nu...

The mountainous province of Yen Bai is striving to send 10,000 workers abroad between 2024 and 2030. Yen Bai's Chairman, Tran Huy Tuan, has signed a decision approving a project to send laborers from Yen Bai Province to work abroad during the 2024-2030 period. This is the first time the province has introduced such a project. The project aims to implement the Resolution of the 19th Provincial People's Council passed during the 17th session, which outlines policies supporting the sending of workers abroad and students participating in training cooperation programs between local vocational education institutions and overseas universities, for the 2024-2026 period. The goal of the project is to improve the quality and effectiveness of sending Vietnamese workers abroad, which will help restructure the labor force, raise income, and improve the living standards of workers, especially those from rural and particularly disadvantaged areas. Yen Bai regularly organizes job fairs to conn...

This is the opinion of Mrs. Yamada Rei, project coordinator and partnership development officer at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), regarding Vietnamese workers. At the "Maximizing the Labor Force for Overseas Work" seminar, organized by the People's Committee of Dong Thap Province in collaboration with Lao Dong Newspaper on August 9, reporters had the opportunity to briefly interview Mrs. Yamada Rei. Mrs. Yamada Rei shared that she and her colleagues are currently implementing the "Employment Information Connection Support Project" for Vietnamese workers going abroad under contract. This project is being carried out by the Department of Overseas Labor Management (DOLAB), the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs of Vietnam (MOLISA), and JICA. "Our project is expected to last for five years and is a technical assistance project. We aim to provide a safe and secure working environment for Vietnamese workers abroad. Based on the kn...

The People's Committee of Ninh Binh Province and Asan City (South Korea) have signed a Cooperation Agreement regarding the dispatch and reception of seasonal workers to South Korea. The program aims to send between 50 and 100 workers from Ninh Binh to Asan (South Korea) every year. Since 2018, the South Korean government has allowed localities in the country to recruit foreign workers to address labor shortages during peak seasons in agriculture and fisheries. This program is implemented through a partnership between one South Korean locality and one Vietnamese locality to recruit laborers. In Ninh Binh, since 2015, the provincial People's Committee has signed a Friendship and Cooperation Agreement with Asan City, Chungcheongnam Province (South Korea). As a result, there have been various cooperation activities, exchanges, and collaborations in fields such as industry, culture, and labor. Notably, in July of this year, both sides signed a cooperation agreement for the dispatch ...

Dong Thap – Nearly 5,000 workers currently employed abroad under contract are generating foreign currency income of over 1,200 billion VND per year. According to a report on the labor export situation from 2021-2024 by the Department of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs (DoLISA) of Dong Thap Province, over the past three years, 7,150 workers have gone abroad. Of these, 6,100 worked in Japan (85.31%), 760 in South Korea (10.63%), 122 in Taiwan (1.71%), and 168 in other countries (2.35%). From January 1, 2021, to August 31, 2024, 6,792 workers returned home after their contracts expired. Dong Thap Labor Export Information Session at the Employment Service Center In the past three years, sectors that many workers have chosen include machinery operations, food processing, and agriculture. Additionally, there has been a significant increase in the number of workers opting for nursing and caregiving jobs abroad. Mr. Pham Viet Cong, Director of Dong Thap's DoLISA, stated that labor ...

Dong Thap – The Provincial Party Committee and the People's Committee of Dong Thap Province have implemented several innovative measures to promote the expansion of labor export markets. Generating Over 1,000 Billion VND Annually Over the past 10 years (2014-2024), after restructuring the program for sending workers abroad under contract, Dong Thap has successfully sent more than 15,000 workers to work in foreign markets, both literally and figuratively. These workers have been employed in high-development countries such as Japan, which accounted for 11,702 people (76% of the total sent abroad); Taiwan (China) with 1,944 people (13%); and South Korea with 1,184 people (8%). In addition to providing opportunities for employment, the program has brought in substantial foreign currency, with an average annual income of 1,000 billion VND. Dong Thap regularly updates the content and operational methods of its Job Fair to enhance its capacity to create job opportunities for local workers...

Dong Thap - The province has not only provided job opportunities both domestically and abroad under contract, but it continues to focus on helping local workers confidently start their own businesses. Escaping Poverty, Creating Motivation For Bui Thi Viko (1991, Tinh Thoi commune, Cao Lanh City), the motivation to break free from poverty came from watching her parents struggle with various jobs without escaping financial hardship. In 2022, she made a bold decision to work abroad under a contract, seeing it as a chance to earn a good income and improve her family's life. "With guidance from the Dong Thap Employment Service Center, I worked in Japan under a 3-year contract. I returned to Vietnam with a clear mind and plans for my future. Using the savings, I decided to open a spa due to the growing demand for beauty services among women," Viko shared. After learning and persevering through many challenges, Viko now owns two spas—one in Dong Thap and another in Phan Thiet. H...

Since the province of Khanh Hoa began promoting various solutions for sending workers abroad, the number of individuals participating in overseas employment has significantly increased. Many workers, especially those from poor households in mountainous districts, have improved their livelihoods and skills, transforming their lives. Reaching Out to Mountainous Workers, Opening Opportunities for Overseas Employment Cao Cầu (from Phuoc Dong commune, Nha Trang) shared that both he and his wife had unstable jobs. In 2022, he learned about job openings in Japan’s construction sector, where he could earn 35 million VND per month. With this income, his family was able to build a home and move out of poverty. In late October 2024, the Khanh Hoa Employment Service Center, in collaboration with the Khanh Vinh district’s Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs, organized a job fair in Khánh Thượng commune. In addition to connecting local businesses with job seekers, the center sought 70 ...

Since the beginning of the year, more than 840 individuals in Hoa Binh province have been selected for overseas employment with fixed-term contracts. As of November 16, 2024, the Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs of Hoa Binh province reported that a total of 18,318 people in the province secured employment (114.4% of the annual target). Among them, 841 workers were chosen for overseas labor, surpassing the target by 41% (141% of the plan for the year). Mr. Bui Manh Cuong, Deputy Director of the Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs, said that since the start of the year, the department has cooperated with local authorities in various districts and cities to implement measures to enhance employment for workers. The department has also supported businesses both inside and outside the province in recruiting labor. A focus has been placed on developing the labor market, improving the labor market information system, and connecting labor supply with demand. Addit...

South Korea has extended the voluntary exit period for foreign workers residing illegally in the country until the end of January 2025. According to the Department of Overseas Labor under the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs (MoLISA), the South Korean Ministry of Justice decided in late November 2024 to extend the voluntary return period for foreign nationals who are living illegally in South Korea. Previously, the deadline was set for November 30, 2024. During this extension period, the South Korean Ministry of Justice will continue to cooperate with law enforcement agencies to step up efforts to crack down on and deport illegal foreign workers. The Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs reports that in recent years, the number of Vietnamese workers whose contracts in South Korea have expired but have not returned to Vietnam has gradually decreased. Over the past two years, the South Korean market has attracted many Vietnamese workers, with over 15,000 workers ...