In-depth
Nearly 80,000 Vietnamese working overseas in first 8M
  • | VET | September 13, 2017 10:31 AM
Nearly 80,000 Vietnamese went to work overseas in the first eight months of this year, of which 29,496 were women, according to figures from the Department of Overseas Labor at the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA).

The figure meets 75.16 per cent of the annual target. Taiwan remained the largest market during the eight months, with 39,746 workers, followed by Japan with 31,225, South Korea with 3,348, Saudi Arabia with 2,431, Malaysia with 814, and Algeria with 438.

The figure was 9,989 in August, equivalent to 89.27 per cent of the figure in the same period last year, of which 3,448 were women. Taiwan accounted for approximately of 60 per cent, with 5,881 workers.

The Department said that apart from traditional markets such as Taiwan and Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, Germany, and Middle East countries are showing potential this year.

MoLISA and South Korea’s Ministry of Employment and Labor re-signed a standard memorandum of understanding (MoU) last year for Vietnamese workers to work in the country, following a four-year suspension introduced due to the high rate of illegal Vietnamese workers in the country.

Vietnam also signed an agreement with Germany last year on Vietnamese nurses working in German hospitals.

Meanwhile, Japan recently approved a new law offering more opportunities to foreign workers, including Vietnamese.

According to Mr. Pham Viet Huong, Deputy Head of the Department, MoLISA has targeted sending 105,000 workers overseas this year. It also plans to sign agreements with partners in Laos, Thailand, and Australia to send workers to these countries this year.

Mr. Huong said the ministry is scheduled to submit to the government a project entitled “Sending Skilled Workers Abroad 2017-20” with a vision to 2025.

Vietnam planned to send 100,000 workers overseas last year but the actual number was 126,296, some 8 per cent higher than in 2015.

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