Vietnam sees decline in number of guest workers

Vietnamese nurses prepare to go to work in Japan (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The number of Vietnamese people going to work abroad decreased over the last two years as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Department of Overseas Labour under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

The department said in recent years, sending people to work abroad under contracts has proved to be an effective job creation measure, and it has received attention from authorities.

Between 2016 and 2019, an average of over 100,000 Vietnamese went to work overseas each year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the figure dropped to 78,000 in 2020 and 45,000 last year.

At present, there about 580,000 Vietnamese guest workers in total, including nearly 250,000 in Japan, some 230,000 in Taiwan (China), and nearly 50,000 in the Republic of Korea.

They mainly work in the fields of manufacturing (mechanics, textile - garment, leather footwear, electronics), construction, agriculture, fisheries, and services (caregiving, domestic work)./.

VNA