Many returning export workers have difficulty finding jobs.
Although labor export is considered an effective measure in job creation, hunger eradication and poverty reduction, it is also a reality that many Nghe An workers find it difficult to find suitable jobs after their contracts expire and they return home.
From capital and accumulated skills
In Hamlet 8, Nghi Dong Commune (Nghi Loc), after 6 years working as an electrical worker in Taiwan, Mr. Ho Sy Viet (born in 1989) returned to his hometown at the end of 2016. Thanks to his diligence, hard work and compliance with labor discipline, during his time working abroad, he had a fairly high income compared to the average level of Vietnamese workers in Taiwan. With more than 500 million VND saved, after returning home, Mr. Viet repaired his parents' house and boldly opened an electrical repair shop.
Anh Viet shared: “After studying at an intermediate vocational school for electrical engineering, due to unstable income in the country, I decided to go to Taiwan to work with an income of approximately 22 million VND/month. After the contract expired, I returned to my hometown to open this store. Currently, my monthly income is from 9-10 million VND, although lower than the salary in Taiwan, it is enough to support my family.”
Similar to Mr. Ho Sy Viet, Mr. Cao Van Xoong in Hamlet 4, Dien Trung Commune (Dien Chau), after 4 years of working in Korea, also decided to start a business in his hometown by opening a mechanical repair shop, creating jobs for 3 local workers with an income of 7-8 million VND/person/month.
Mr. Ho Cong Thang - Vice Chairman of Dien Trung Commune People's Committee said that on average, each year the commune has more than 100 people going abroad to work. Currently, the whole commune has nearly 700 workers working abroad, mainly concentrated in markets such as Taiwan, Japan and some European countries. Labor export has contributed to raising the average income per capita in 2022 of the whole commune to nearly 60 million VND/year, at the same time, reducing the poverty rate to 2.8%. Currently, there are about more than 20 workers returning from abroad living in the locality with jobs such as service business, opening small factories or working at enterprises in Dien Chau district.
According to statistics from the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, in the past 5 years, on average, the whole province has had more than 20,000 people working abroad each year. Most of the workers working abroad have an income at least twice as high as working in the country.
In some high-income markets such as Korea and Japan, after 2 to 3 years of working, workers can accumulate from 500 million to 1 billion VND. In addition, their skills and industrial style are also significantly improved compared to when working in the country. Thanks to these advantages, when returning, many people have proactively created jobs for themselves, opened their own production facilities to develop the family economy.
"Gold mine" needs to be exploited
However, a paradox is that many workers who return home after their overseas work contracts expire cannot find suitable jobs, despite having been trained and possessing high professional skills. Meanwhile, many domestic enterprises are lacking skilled and highly qualified workers. Many workers returning home said that they have very little information about the recruitment needs of foreign-invested enterprises.
To earn an income, workers often have to do small businesses or work temporarily at domestic enterprises with salaries that do not match their qualifications and experience. This is also one of the reasons why a number of workers in high-income countries such as Korea, Taiwan, etc. still choose to stay illegally after their labor contracts expire.
In recent times, Nghe An Provincial Employment Service Center has carried out propaganda and support activities for workers to complete their contracts and return home through conferences, consultation sessions, job fairs and job fairs. These activities create opportunities for workers who have worked abroad to directly approach recruiting businesses and choose jobs that suit their abilities. At the same time, businesses also have the opportunity to recruit workers with vocational skills, work experience, foreign language ability and industrial style to meet production and business needs.
Most recently, on December 9, the center coordinated with the Center for Overseas Labor (COLAB) under the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs to organize a job fair for workers going to work in Korea under the EPS Program and technical interns in Japan under the IM Japan Program returning home. This fair attracted more than 90 workers who have worked in Japan and Korea since January 2024, along with 11 recruiting businesses.
However, according to Mr. Tran Huu Thuong - Deputy Director of Nghe An Employment Service Center, every year, the rate of workers returning from overseas labor export through the center's supply activities is still low, only about 30%. Most workers have to proactively search for jobs and create a living. Besides, the number of workers who find jobs through job transactions and job fairs is also very limited.
Having worked in Korea for 5 years and just returned home at the beginning of this year, Mr. Nguyen Kim Trung (born in 1990), residing in Hung Thinh commune (Hung Nguyen) said that he was used to the industrial working environment, so when he returned to Vietnam, he felt that the working environment was not suitable. During his time in Korea, his work was mainly related to the mechanical field with a salary of approximately 3,000 USD after deducting all expenses. In addition, the company also supports housing and meals for workers; if workers rent accommodation outside, the company will support the rent and travel expenses. Since returning home, Mr. Trung has been struggling to find a suitable job.
I want to find a job near home with a salary of 13-15 million VND, but after interviewing a few companies, they only pay about 8-9 million VND. The income difference compared to the other side is too big. In the near future, I plan to open a business store. However, if the business is not favorable, I will consider going abroad to work again.
Mr. Nguyen Kim Trung (Hung Thinh commune, Hung Nguyen district)
Mr. Vi Ngoc Quynh - Deputy Director of the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs said: "Currently, there are still no exact statistics on the number of repatriated workers in the province, as well as whether they can find suitable jobs like when they worked abroad. However, it can be affirmed that the workforce returning on time after the contract term has high skills and foreign language proficiency has been significantly improved. This is truly a 'gold mine' that needs to be exploited in the context of a shortage of high-quality labor resources in the province."
Localities need to clearly understand the data of workers returning from working abroad; at the same time, specifically assess their qualifications, occupation, age, gender and aspirations to promptly advise, support and connect labor supply and demand. On the other hand, for repatriated workers, they should not passively wait for jobs to come to them but need to proactively research the market, orient their careers and effectively use accumulated capital to soon stabilize their lives."
Mr. Vi Ngoc Quynh - Deputy Director of the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs of Nghe An province.
