Hanoi’s day labourers struggle to find work

The areas of Buoi Street, the junction at Giang Vo and the foot of Mai Dich overpass hosts waiting groups of day labourers willing to do odd jobs, such as cleaning houses, moving household goods or transporting construction materials.

More people looking for work, means less jobs to go around

It may be midday but up to 50 people are waiting at the corner of Buoi Street for employment. They come from different localities nationwide, with many of them are former rice farmers who either no longer have enough land to farm or have suffered a catastrophic harvest. Some still owe hundreds of millions of VND in loans for fees that paid to work abroad, while others are new graduates unable to find a job.

Nguyen Do Duc from Nghe An Province said his last rice crop had been severely damaged by flooding, so he had to earn living in Hanoi to cover the school fees of his three sons.

Nguyen Huy Thinh and his son Nguyen Huu Bay have worked at Buoi Street for three years. Some years ago, Bay borrowed over VND100 million (USD4,784) from his relatives and banks to work in Saudi Arabia. However, less than one month later, he had to return home because his wife was suffering from a serious illness. He has incurred debt of hundreds of millions of dong to date.

Bay said that since last year, labourers like him have found it more difficult to find work. On a good day, he’ll manage to do work for a couple of people, but the rest of his time, he sits around waiting. Sometimes, he and his father remain unemployed so they collect bottles and scrap to sell.

Nguyen Duc Hai, a graduate from Dong Do University, also has to work as a motorbike taxi driver because he is unable to find a job.

Those waiting at Mai Dich overpass include many women who have come to earn extra incomes during the post harvest period.

Nguyen Ba Vuong from Nghe An Province wants to feed four children studying in the south. He has worked as a motorbike driver in the area for 10 years. He shared that in previous years, only a small number of people came to find jobs, so he could earn VND500,000-600,000 (USD23.9-28.7) per day. But, now, his earnings have been cut, with him being lucky to take home VND150,000-200,000 (USD7.17-9.56) per day.

There are now 20 motorbike taxi drivers working the same patch compared to just a few years ago.