An officer gives guidance about working abroad for residents in Sóc Trăng Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Tuấn Phi

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam sent more than 78,000 workers abroad in the first half of this year, fulfilling 62.4 per cent of the yearly target, according to the Department of Overseas Labour under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

Japan, Taiwan (China), and the Republic of Korea (RoK) remained the largest recipients of Vietnamese guest workers.

Apart from the markets, Vietnamese workers were also sent to European countries like Germany, Romania, and Hungary, said Phạm Viết Hương, deputy head of the department.

Last year, over 159,000 workers went abroad for employment, surpassing the yearly target by 33.3 per cent, and the highest recorded over the past 10 years.

For this year, the ministry aims to send 125,000 workers abroad, focusing on key traditional markets such as Japan, Taiwan, and the RoK. It eyes to have 120,000-143,000 people working in foreign countries every year, who send home total remittances of around US$3.5-4 billion.

The Government has issued a plan to carry out a directive of the Party Central Committee's Secretariat on enhancing the Party leadership on sending workers overseas in the new situation. Along with building strategies to send Vietnamese labourers to foreign countries, the plan outlines solutions to raise public awareness of law observance as well as coordination mechanisms to handle relevant issues. — VNS