According to the Vietnam Migration Profile 2023 report released this week by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, their incomes ranged from $800-1,200 in Taiwan and some European countries, and $400-1,000 in Malaysia and the Middle East.

People participate in an exam to work in South Korea.

Vietnamese workers choose to work abroad since the salaries are higher and jobs offer a better experience than at home, it said.

The minimum wage is 15 times higher in Australia and New Zealand than in Vietnam and seven to nine times in Japan and South Korea.

There are more than 650,000 Vietnamese guest workers in 40 countries and territories, and they send back $3.5-4 billion annually in remittances.

For the fifth year in a row last year, Japan had the largest number of Vietnamese workers. Other major destinations were South Korea and Taiwan, and there was significant growth in the numbers in Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and Hungary.

The report said 80% of Vietnamese guest workers were employed in labor-intensive jobs in textiles, footwear, construction, agriculture, fisheries, domestic work, elderly and patient care, and others.

A smaller segment of skilled workers, including managers and engineers, are abroad for better incomes and career development opportunities, it said.

Vietnamese unskilled workers are known for their hard work and adaptability, but the number overstaying their contracts and working illegally is high, and this hampers opportunities for people seeking to work abroad, it warned.

There are instances of Vietnamese workers suffering from unfair treatment, excessive working hours and unsafe working conditions, it added.

Le Hoang Ha, an official at the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs’ department of overseas labor management, said workers doing simple tasks are being replaced by robots and technologies in many developed countries.

To remain competitive, Vietnamese workers need to be trained in skills and languages, he added.

Government leader hails outcomes of Vietnam-Qatar labour cooperation

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on October 31 hailed labour partnership between Vietnam and Qatar as a traditional area of cooperation that leaders of the two countries have paid much attention to and the two sides can supplement each other.

Vietnamese students supported to access Germany's labour market

A working delegation led by Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany Bärbel Kofler on October 29 visited LILAMA2 International Technology College (LILAMA2) in the southern province of Dong Nai in an effort to promote Vietnam-Germany cooperation in vocational training and labour migration.

Vietnam seeks deeper labour cooperation with Europe

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang and Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Ba Hoan co-chaired a seminar in Hanoi, which sought ways bolster Vietnam-Europe labour cooperation.

Vietnam – Japan labour cooperation records rapid development

In recent years, the number of Vietnamese workers to Japan has accounted for more than 50% of the total number of workers sent abroad annually. Labour cooperation between the two countries has become increasingly valued and seen remarkable development.

Vietnam keen on expanding vocational training, labour cooperation with Germany: Official

Vietnam wishes to further strengthen cooperation with Germany in vocational education and sending Vietnamese workers to the European country to work in the context of Germany's recent revision of its foreign worker reception policy, stated Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Le Tan Dung at a meeting with Country Director of Germany Development Agency (GIZ) in Vietnam Michaela Baur in Hanoi on September 17.