Laos draws Vietnamese workers
More and more Vietnamese workers have been going to Laos in recent years to help on investment projects between the two countries.
The figure is expected to exceed 20,000 by 2015.
The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) told a conference early this week that most Vietnamese were skilled, adding that the present number of Vietnamese workers in Laos is about 13,500 people.
According to the Association of Vietnamese investors in Laos, nearly 7,000 are employees of the Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group, a large company that operates in furniture, real estate, football and mining.
Vietnam Rubber Group has nearly 1,000 workers and the Song Da Corporation about 600.
Reports from Vietnamese enterprises that have invested in Laos show that Vietnamese unskilled workers in Laos are paid an average of US$250 a month while skilled workers receive about US$500.
In addition to salary, the workers are also given living away from home allowances. They also benefit from Vietnam's social and health insurance policy and holiday system.
Tong Hai Nam, deputy director of the Department of Overseas Labour, said the presence of Vietnamese workers in Laos has helped relieve the problem of a labour shortage in the country, especially in the fields of energy, and infrastructure, and helped meet the demand of large investment projects.
He said the strong development of investment co-operation projects in Laos created strong demand for Vietnamese workers.