The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) revealed that 48,363 Vietnamese people were sent to work abroad in the first four months of 2024, marking an increasing labor force outflow.
The agency said it is seeking new markets to provide more options for those interested, especially in the higher-income labor markets.

Growing number of workers sent abroad

Japan is the destination country for a large number of Vietnamese migrant workers. Photo: VOV

According to the MoLISA's Center of Overseas Labor, foreign demand for Vietnamese labor is rising, especially in large markets like South Korea. The number of workers registered for the first round of the Korean language exam is three times the annual quota, reaching nearly 45,000 people, making a record in all Korean language exams.

However, the center reported that South Korea's quota for workers from Vietnam is only 15,400 people in 2024. The manufacturing sector accounts for more than 80% of the total number of language test takers, with over 36,000 people, while the recruitment quota is only over 11,000 people.

Pham Ngoc Lan, Deputy Director of the Center for Overseas Labor, said that only 58% of candidates in the three categories of construction, agriculture, and fishing passed the Korean language exam, but over 90% successfully completed the skills test. Workers who pass the two rounds of exams can then apply for recruitment and be introduced to Korean employers.

"The exam is strictly organized, with South Korea overseeing the entire process. Candidates caught cheating will have their results annulled and be banned from taking the exam for four years. Despite the stringent requirements, the number of registered candidates has far exceeded the allotted quota, underscoring the immense demand among Vietnamese workers to secure employment in South Korea," Lan said.

Despite the depreciation of the Japanese yen, which has resulted in lower incomes, the interest of Vietnamese workers in the Japanese job market has continued to grow unabated, Executive Director of Tadashi Manpower JSC Le Thuy Hang told Cong an Nhan dan Newspaper.

She added that the Japanese market still has a strong appeal for workers because of its welfare system, culture and work environment, and easy and convenient visa extension policy, which allows them to pursue higher salaries and longer-term employment in Japan.

The yen's depreciation is only temporary, and wage levels are still attractive for workers, she stressed.

"Another reason is the benefits offered by Japanese companies to workers, so the number of workers going to Japan is constantly increasing," she said. "In recent years, Vietnamese workers going to Japan have always accounted for more than half of the annual number of Vietnamese guest workers."

Tapping into new markets

Vietnamese workers clear immigration at Incheon Airport in South Korea. Photo: Manh Hung

The MoLISA said that one of the key tasks of this agency is to maintain a firm foothold in traditional markets and open up new ones.

For large traditional markets such as Japan, South Korea, and China's Taiwan, the parties have conducted regular exchanges and promoted cooperation in labor relations.

The ministry has proposed expanding Japanese visa categories for Vietnamese workers in the restaurant and food processing industries, where recent surveys show Vietnam has clear advantages and immense demand.

Meanwhile, for new markets such as Hungary, the ministry has asked partners to clarify legal issues to support the deployment of Vietnamese workers.

At the same time, the partner can support Vietnamese workers by facilitating the issuance of work visas and providing language training to Vietnamese recruitment agencies.

Expanding potential markets is one of the key tasks for the overseas worker program in 2024, according to the agency. The Saudi Arabian market is new and promising for Vietnamese guest workers. Currently, there are about 5,000 people laboring in Saudi Arabia, mostly in domestic work, construction, and restaurant services. This number does not fully reflect the huge potential for labor cooperation between the two countries.

Deputy Minister of MoLISA Nguyen Ba Hoan said the potential for labor cooperation between Vietnam and Saudi Arabia is enormous, but the results have not been commensurate.

Therefore, he added that these potential markets will also be a focus for expansion to provide more opportunities for Vietnamese workers who want to work abroad.

In 2024, Vietnam plans to send about 125,000 workers abroad under contract. By the end of April, the number had reached 48,363.

The MoLISA will continue to strengthen and improve the quality of Vietnamese contract workers sent abroad.