Vietnam has fallen short of its target to send 90,000 labourers to work abroad this year as a consequence of the global economic crisis.

Nguyen Ngoc Quynh, Director of Overseas Labour Management Department announced the information on Nov. 27, noting that the total number of Vietnamese labourers leaving to work abroad in 2009 is expected fall 22 percent short of the country’s plan to around 70,000.

However, Vietnam is pinning high hopes on signs of recovery in the world labour market from now to the end of the year, Quynh said, adding that the country is making efforts to make full use of the traditional markets of Malaysia, Libya, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan and the Middle East.

According to Quynh, the project to provide assistance in poor districts to help locals export their labour has been stepped up, with over 600 workers being sent abroad and nearly 3,000 others receiving vocational training to prepare to work in foreign countries.

The Department is deploying a pilot project on vocational training in some fields of high demand in the world including welding, tourism and hospitality, and construction.

The Department on Nov. 27 launched its website in a bid to increase the transparency of information on labour exportation, making it easier for labourers to work abroad and preventing them from being exploited.

Vietnam had by the end of October exported over 58,200 workers abroad with Taiwan being the country’s largest labour importer, followed by the Republic of Korea , Japan , the United Arab Emirates , Macao and Malaysia./.