According to a latest report from the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), the country sent 48,363 workers abroad in the first four months of this year, including 14,193 female workers, fulfilling 38.69 percent of this year's plan.
Japan continued to attract the largest number of Vietnamese labourers with 29,665 workers, followed by Taiwan (14,908), South Korea (815), China (535), Singapore (393), Rumani (320), Thailand (295), and some other countries.
During his recent meeting with the Japanese Vice Minister of Justice, Nakano Hedeyuki, MoLISA's Deputy Minister Nguyen Ba Hoan proposed the Japanese Government to receive Vietnamese labourers in restaurants and food processing production companies which are two areas that Vietnam has advantages.
Hoan said in recent years, the two countries have jointly conducted internship and exchange programmes such as technical internship, specified skilled workers, bringing Vietnamese nurses and midwives to work in Japan under the Vietnam - Japan Economic Partnership Agreement.
According to Nakano Hedeyuki, on March 15, the Japanese Government submitted to parliament the bill on reforming foreign internship programme as Japan wants to retain immigrant workers longer to address the labour scarcity due to an aging population. The reform will be implemented through a new programme focusing on developing skills and protecting workers' rights.
"The Japanese government wants to attract foreign talent to work in the country for a long time, improve their skills and, importantly, prevent the risk of abusing workers' rights,” he said.
The new programme, if approved by the Japanese parliament, will take effect from 2027. In the future, Vietnam will be the first priority partner in labour, he said, hoping that the two sides will soon start negotiations to exchange and discuss the signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation.
Nakano Hedeyuki said that Japan currently has 12 fields and occupations that receive specified skills. The Japanese Government recently added four specified skilled occupations that foreigners can work in as 'skilled workers', including road transport, railway transport; forestry and timber to alleviate labour shortages in these occupations.
He hopes that Vietnam will conduct surveys to provide specific and accurate information which serve as a basis for Japanese agencies to consider continuing to expand recruiting workers in skilled professions.
Vietnam sent around 155,000 people to work abroad last year, an 8.5% increase from 2022. Around 650,000 Vietnamese workers are currently working in 40 countries and territories.
