Nghe An strives to expand its labor market in Europe.
Along with traditional markets, in 2025, labor export brokerage businesses in the province will continue to expand and develop several labor markets in Europe with good income and working conditions.
Efforts to expand the labor market
Sky International Joint Stock Company expects to bring in more than 300 employees in 2025 and 2026.Workers going to European countries, Japan, and South Korea.c, with a focus on markets such as Hungary, Bulgaria, Poland… for professions such as construction, mechanics, welding…
According to the company representative, the jobs and salaries vary depending on the needs of the host country. Currently, Romania is the country that receives the most Vietnamese workers, with 90% working in the construction and industrial sectors. The lowest salary for unskilled laborers is $650 per month, while skilled workers can earn between $800 and $1,000 for an 8-hour workday and a 5-day work week.
A representative from the company also stated: The company's traditional markets are Japan and South Korea. However, in the past year, they have been seeking additional contracts in Europe. While Japan has age restrictions and complicated procedures for going to South Korea, some European countries like Romania and Bulgaria are quite lenient. They offer opportunities for unskilled laborers with relatively low skill requirements; as long as they are within the eligible age range and in good health, they have a chance. Each year, the company sends approximately 100 workers to several European countries; salaries range from 20 to 60 million VND depending on the profession and the worker's skill level. The cost of sending workers abroad must not exceed one month's salary according to the contract for each year of work, not including language and vocational training fees.
However, attracting more workers to European markets remains quite challenging for this company. "We are expanding our outreach to European markets through vocational schools in the area, because with the skills they receive, students will have a much greater chance of earning higher incomes," said a representative from Sky International Joint Stock Company.
As for Phuc Chien Thang Trading Company, for many years the company has directly signed contracts with many European markets such as Croatia, Hungary, and Denmark. Mr. Nguyen Le Thang - Director of the company, said: "In the last 2-3 years, workers have tended to want to find jobs in Europe instead of going to Japan. The reason is that the Japanese yen has depreciated sharply, and the amount of money workers can save to send back home is low, so they are not as interested in this market as before. Meanwhile, many countries in Europe are in great need of manpower, so their policies to attract immigrant workers have changed."
“For example, in Germany, to attract skilled workers, the German government has facilitated earlier naturalization for foreigners, approximately 5 years. Thus, after 5 years, workers can be considered for permanent residency and sponsor family members. At the same time, foreigners enjoy the same working conditions and benefits as native-born citizens. Regarding Vietnam, since January 2024, the two countries have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in the field of labor and employment, opening up opportunities for cooperation.”
Ms. Trinh Thi Huyen - Director of IBM International Joint Stock Company
Kaizen International Joint Stock Company, IBM Trading Joint Stock Company, and Sky ASIA International Joint Stock Company, all based in Vinh City, specializing in supplying labor to the European market, sent 1,000 workers to Schengen countries last year. In addition, these companies sent nearly 100 workers to the Russian Federation. Ms. Trinh Thi Huyen – Director of IBM Trading Joint Stock Company, said: “Businesses in the Russian Federation want to recruit factory workers, food processing workers, and operators of industrial machinery…”
The average monthly income is 500-700 USD, with an 8-hour workday and only 5 days a week; overtime is calculated separately. Similarly, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Poland also have a need for skilled unskilled laborers in the industrial and agricultural sectors. The basic salary ranges from 500-750 USD per month, depending on the job, and overtime work can earn significantly more.
Ms. Huyen also added: Clearly, the European market is an easy-going and friendly market, an attractive destination for Vietnamese workers due to its modern living environment and good working conditions. Although the income is not very high, workers have the opportunity to save more, and the length of stay in host countries is also longer than in Asian markets. Furthermore, countries in the Schengen area have a fairly easy mechanism for issuing work permit cards to third countries; workers can work in Hungary for one year, then move to Poland, Denmark, or other countries in the bloc.
It is necessary to understand the nature of the European market.
According to Ms. Trinh Thi Huyen, Director of IBM Trading Company, the reason businesses still find it difficult to attract workers to European markets is because obtaining visas for foreign workers in these countries is very challenging. Furthermore, geographical distance and temperature differences are also reasons for workers' concerns. While Asian countries like Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea have climates relatively similar to Vietnam, European countries experience prolonged and harsh cold weather, which is quite challenging for Asians. Asian markets offer opportunities for quick earnings, as workers can frequently work overtime and increase their income faster, whereas in Europe, it takes a long time for workers to earn a significant amount of money.
In addition, emigration fees are also a problem for workers from Nghe An province. While workers only need a little over 100 million VND to fly to Taiwan after language and orientation training, emigration to Europe requires costs ranging from 250 to 350 million VND, or even up to 500 million VND for markets like Germany…
"Businesses sending workers to Europe are facing a major challenge: workers absconding to third countries. Therefore, the selection of workers for export must be very strict and have clear obligations, making visa issuance by host countries quite difficult. Another difficulty is that workers wanting to go to Europe easily turn to intermediaries and brokers who promise 'quick departures and huge incomes,' making them vulnerable to scams."
Mr. Tran Phi Hung – Head of the Labor, Employment and Occupational Safety and Health Department, Department of Internal Affairs
According to Mr. Hung, for at least the next five years, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan will remain major labor export markets for Vietnam, especially in Nghe An province. European countries are only just beginning to accept workers from outside the EU, mainly on a trial basis. Workers wishing to go to Europe need to carefully research recruiting companies and can call the hotline of the Department of Overseas Labor Management to verify information and avoid being scammed.