Vietnam’s Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) expects to send 90,000 laborers to work abroad in 2021, mainly to high and stable income countries.

Director General of the MoLISA’s Department of Overseas Labor Tong Hai Nam said the department has renewed its agreement on labor cooperation with Thailand, negotiated similar deal with Israel, and carried out existing agreements with South Korea, Japan and some other countries.

Some 78,641 Vietnamese laborers were sent abroad in 2020. Photo: xuatkhaulaodong.com.vn

Some target markets of Vietnam still have high demand for labor, including Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea.

Nam added that his department has been pondering on sending workers to Romania and Poland. It has also been supporting localities to send seasonal workers to South Korea and other nations.

Nam noted that more than 26,000 Vietnamese guest workers whose labor contracts expired are unable to return home due to the effects of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

The Department of Overseas Labor Management has instructed relevant units to coordinate with Vietnamese diplomatic missions abroad, partners, and employers to ensure the safety and legitimate rights of guest workers amid the global crisis, while they are waiting to return home.

Besides, the department has also required 506 enterprises licensed to send workers abroad to review the number of employees who are subject to return home due to the effects of the outbreak.

Some 78,641 Vietnamese laborers were sent abroad in 2020, reaching 60.5% of the government target amid border closures imposed by many countries due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the MoLISA, Vietnamese labor export firms are working hard to find more contracts and markets. Besides, some have invested in training the workforce on foreign languages ​​and necessary skills before sending them overseas.