Vietnam hopes to send 90,000 laborers abroad in 2022, focusing on markets with high and stable income, according to the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA).

Tong Hai Nam, director general of the Department of Overseas Labor under the MoLISA, said the department has renewed its agreement on labor cooperation with Thailand, and negotiated labor cooperation with Israel, as well as implemented labor cooperation agreements with South Korea, Japan and some other countries.

Besides, the department has researched the market and assessed the pilot phase of sending laborers to some European countries such as Romania, Poland, among others. It has also strengthened support for localities to continue sending workers to do seasonal jobs in South Korea on a trial basis.

A group of Vietnamese workers in South Korea. Photo: The Center of Overseas Labors

Over 26,000 Vietnamese migrant workers have had their labor contracts expired, but are unable to return home due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The Overseas Labor Management Department has instructed relevant units to coordinate with Vietnamese diplomatic missions abroad, partners, and employers to ensure the safety and legal rights of employees amid the global crisis, while they are waiting to return home, Nam added.

He stressed that his department has also required 506 enterprises licensed to send workers abroad to review the number of employees set to return home due to the outbreak.

Facing the complicated situation of the Covid-19 pandemic in Vietnam and the world, the department has monitored the situation, closely coordinated with partners and related agencies to implement the recruitment, training and guest workers support in the new situation.

It added that the four markets receiving the largest number of Vietnamese workers included South Korea, Japan, Germany and Taiwan (China).

The director general of the Department of Overseas Labor also emphasized several key tasks for the Overseas Labor Management Department in 2022. It is especially necessary to focus on disseminating and implementing the legal documents related to labor export such that the law on Vietnamese workers going abroad under contracts and guiding documents.

In 2021, Vietnam's labor export continued to face many challenges due to the Covid-19 disease. The pandemic broke out in 230 countries and territories, deeply and comprehensively affecting all regions, especially key countries and territories receiving Vietnamese workers.

As many countries issued regulations to restrict entry for foreign citizens due to Covid-19, only around 45,000 Vietnamese workers were sent abroad, including more than 15,000 female workers. This figure only reached about 50% of the year’s plan, which expected a total of 90,000 employees to be sent abroad, the Department of Overseas Labor said.