At a press conference on June 19, the Department of Overseas Labour Management said more than 66,300 Vietnamese workers took up jobs abroad during the first half of the year.
Japan remained the leading destination, receiving nearly 28,500 workers, primarily in manufacturing, nursing and caregiving sectors.
Taiwan followed with around 28,200 workers, while South Korea received nearly 3,400 and China more than 1,900.
For the second half of the year, the department aims to negotiate and sign labour cooperation agreements with 14 countries and territories, focusing on higher-income markets such as Canada, Greece and Australia.
Vu Truong Giang, deputy director of the Department of Overseas Labour Management, said Japan continued to be an attractive destination for Vietnamese workers despite current global economic challenges.
Approximately 480,000 Vietnamese nationals are currently employed in Japan as engineers, specified skilled workers and technical intern trainees, among other occupations. Japanese authorities are also seeking a greater number of workers from Vietnam in the coming years, he said.
While overseas labour markets remain generally stable, Giang noted that the number of Vietnamese workers sent abroad during the first half of the year fell by 11 per cent compared with the same period in 2025.
He attributed the decline to several factors, including escalating conflicts in key regions that have complicated labour recruitment and deployment in both Vietnam and other labour-sending countries.
Global economic pressures have also affected some destination markets. In Japan, for example, the depreciation of the yen has reduced the market's attractiveness for foreign workers.
"The supply of workers seeking overseas employment is also facing competition as domestic businesses create more job opportunities," Giang said.
He cited the construction sector as an example, where companies are increasingly recruiting unskilled workers with monthly salaries ranging from VND 15 million to VND 20 million (approximately USD 580 to USD 770), encouraging many people to remain in Vietnam rather than seek employment abroad.
Vietnamese workers overseas remitted approximately USD 7 billion to the country in 2025.
The labour authority said it aims to shift its focus from sending mainly low-skilled workers to developing a workforce with professional skills and qualifications that meet European standards.