Vietnamese workers have contracts to work abroad. (Illustrative photo: Colab)

The Department of Overseas Labour of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs reported that Japan continues to recruit the most Vietnamese workers -- more than 34,000 in the first half of this year, followed by Taiwan (China) with 31,000 and South Korea with 1,600. The rest have contracts to work in China, Singapore, Hungary, Romania and other markets.

The Japanese government has reformed its policies for skilled foreign workers,  permitting them to stay in Japan for a longer time and expanding the list of approved occupations. This will increase the number, benefits, and long-term residence opportunities for Vietnamese workers.

Nguyen Gia Liem, Deputy Director of the Department of Overseas Labour, said: "The Japanese market attracts many Vietnamese workers with its good working conditions and stable policies. We have encouraged the Japanese authorities and employers to reduce costs for Vietnamese workers and create favorable conditions for Japanese businesses to recruit more workers.”

South Korea is another high-income market which attracts many Vietnamese workers. Last month Minister of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung and South Korean Minister of Employment and Labour Lee Jung Sik signed a Memorandum of Understanding to boost labour cooperation under the Employment Permit System (EPS) Program.

Minister Dung said: "Vietnam now has about 48,000 employees working in South Korea with an income of 1,500 to 2,000 USD/person/month. 32,000 people are working under the EPS Program and 9,000 are seafarers. Seasonal labour programs between localities of South Korea and Vietnam have been implemented effectively. The two countries have signed an Agreement on Social Insurance and Double Social Insurance Contribution Avoidance.”

This year, Vietnam aims to send 110,000 workers abroad. The Department of Overseas Labour will develop a project to improve the quality of overseas workers.