The conference held by the Ministry of Home Affairs on Thursday to engage in dialogue with enterprises sending Vietnamese workers abroad under contract. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Home Affairs has highlighted the need for solutions in institutional improvement, administrative reform, market restructuring and workforce quality enhancement to strengthen the competitiveness of Vietnamese workers employed overseas under contract.

The issue was emphasised by Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vũ Chiến Thắng at a dialogue held on Thursday with enterprises engaged in sending Vietnamese workers abroad under contract. The event gathered representatives from more than 100 labour export service companies across the country.

Thắng said that overseas employment remains one of the key pillars of the national economy. Việt Nam continues to enjoy a unique advantage in its abundant labour force, which contributes significantly to remittance inflows and helps improve the livelihoods of workers’ families.

However, he also pointed out several persistent challenges. Some enterprises still impose excessive service fees or conduct non-transparent recruitment practices. Cases of workers breaking contracts or residing illegally abroad remain frequent.

Meanwhile, many Vietnamese workers still lack the professional skills and foreign language proficiency required in advanced labour markets. Certain institutional regulations and administrative procedures also remain cumbersome, failing to create truly favourable conditions for enterprises.

According to Acting Director General of the Department of Overseas Labour Management Vũ Trường Giang, the deployment of workers abroad continues to face various difficulties.

In the first ten months of 2025, more than 121,000 Vietnamese workers were sent abroad, fulfilling 93.2 per cent of the annual plan. By the end of the 2021–25 period, the total number is projected to reach around 636,000 workers, equivalent to 127 per cent of the set target.

Key and traditional labour markets have maintained a stable number of Vietnamese workers. Japan continues to lead with 55,049 workers, followed by Taiwan (China) with 47,135 and the Republic of Korea with 9,996. The number of workers in European markets such as Germany, Romania, Hungary and Russia has also remained steady.

The overseas employment programme not only helps create jobs and raise incomes, but also contributes up to US$7 billion in annual remittances, making it one of the country’s major sources of foreign currency.

Nguyễn Xuân Lanh, deputy general director of Esuhai Co, Ltd, stressed the importance of pre-departure training, suggesting the establishment of a national fund to conduct long-term awareness campaigns and structured training programmes that help workers better understand their responsibilities and equip them with the necessary skills before going abroad.

General Director of Nhật Thành Human Resources JSC Mai Sỹ Ngọc pointed out that labour recruitment remains the biggest challenge for enterprises, as they face unfair competition from unlicensed brokers operating in localities.

“High costs paid by workers for overseas employment are largely due to these unauthorised brokers,” Ngọc noted.

He proposed that the Ministry of Home Affairs coordinate with relevant authorities to strengthen supervision of brokerage activities, suggesting that individuals involved in labour brokerage should undergo training and obtain professional certification before operating.

In his concluding remarks, Thắng emphasised the need to rethink management practices in sending Vietnamese workers abroad. He urged the removal of unnecessary business conditions and administrative procedures, while fostering a healthy and competitive environment for both enterprises and workers.

He revealed that the ministry is urgently finalising a draft decree amending and supplementing several articles of Government Decree 112/2021/NĐ-CP to shift certain administrative procedures related to registration for specific markets and occupations from conditional management to disclosure.

In November 2025, the ministry will amend Circular 21/2021/TT-LĐTBXH and Circular 02/2024/TT-BLĐTBXH, before formulating a National Strategy on Overseas Employment for 2025–2030.

“A transparent legal environment is essential for healthy business growth,” Thắng confirmed. “Enterprises that comply with the law will receive full support, while violators will face strict sanctions and public disclosure to ensure market integrity.”

He also called for restructuring both labour markets and workforce quality, with a shift from labour export to skilled labour mobility.

“Instead of competing on low costs, we must compete on skills and discipline,” he said.

The ministry will spearhead the development of targeted initiatives to penetrate high-income markets with acute labour shortages, such as Germany, Canada and Australia, focusing on sectors that require high technical skills, he added. — VNS