More than 142,800 Vietnamese workers were sent abroad last year, marking the fifth consecutive year that the 100,000 benchmark has been exceeded. The figure posted a year on year increase of 6 per cent.

Japan received the largest number of Vietnamese workers in 2018, with 67,000 laborers, followed by Taiwan (China) with 65,000 workers, and then the Republic of Korea with 6,000 workers.

According to Dao Ngoc Dung, Minister of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs, the quality of the guest workers increased. He noted that previously, Vietnamese workers had entered foreign markets at any cost, but a trend is occurring with workers now selecting specific markets and more relevant work for their skills.

Many place priority on high-skilled and technical jobs so that they would return and serve the development process in their homeland, the minister said.

He commented that the cash remittances of US$3 billion from the Vietnamese guest workers significantly contributed to new-style rural area building, job creation, poverty reduction, and national socio-economic growth at large.