A broadening job market

According to a report by the Department of Home Affairs, from 2024 through September 2026, a total of 22,200 people in the city went abroad to work under labour contracts.

Workers with vocational training and foreign language proficiency have better employment opportunities and a wider range of career choices.

Their main destinations were Taiwan (China), with 14,190 workers; Japan, 6,050; the Republic of Korea (RoK), 1,178; and other markets, 782.

In 2026, average monthly earnings for Vietnamese workers in the RoK were approximately 45 million VND (1,746 USD), compared with 23.6 million VND in Taiwan and 20-26 million VND in Japan.

For workers in Bac Ninh, employment opportunities are becoming increasingly diverse, ranging from unskilled factory jobs to vocational training programmes that prepare them for high-tech manufacturing positions at major foreign-invested corporations and businesses in industrial parks.

In agriculture-dependent areas, overseas employment remains more popular than in urban areas.

Bao Dai commune is one example. Covering approximately 84 square kilometres and home to more than 59,000 people, including ethnic minorities who account for around 15% of the population, the commune relies largely on agriculture. More than 6,000 residents are currently working overseas.

Strengthening career guidance

Bac Ninh is now a promising labour market, with businesses posing substantial demand for workers. As employment opportunities become more diverse, properly classifying and guiding workers towards suitable forms of employment has become increasingly important.

Sungwoo Vina Company Limited, located in Thuan Thanh 3 Industrial Park, specialises in manufacturing and assembling electronic components.

State management agencies, local authorities, vocational training institutions and businesses need to strengthen their roles in assessing labour demand and categorising workers based on qualifications, skills, age, economic circumstances and career aspirations.

On this basis, they should develop appropriate and effective training and employment plans while providing workers with comprehensive information on labour markets, recruitment requirements, wages, costs and career development opportunities to help them make informed choices.

For those seeking employment locally, guidance should focus on stable positions that offer opportunities to improve professional skills.

For those wishing to work overseas, support should include foreign language and vocational training, labour market advice and safeguards for their legitimate rights and interests.

Effective career guidance not only helps workers choose paths suited to their abilities and circumstances but also contributes to more efficient use of human resources and supports the city's socio-economic development.

At a labour export training conference held on October 14, Mai Son, member of the municipal Party Committee’s Standing Board and Standing Vice Chairman of the municipal People's Committee, said that workers employed overseas under labour contracts have helped improve incomes and living standards for many families, while also building a pool of workers with accumulated skills, experience and modern working practices who can return to take on key roles at businesses in industrial parks.

Authorities at all levels and relevant agencies need to strengthen communication, consultation and guidance, provide official information and ensure support reaches the right people under the appropriate conditions, he stressed.

According to Tran Van Ha, Deputy Director of the Department of Home Affairs, alongside efforts to create jobs locally, the department will focus on sending workers abroad under labour contracts, with an emphasis on improving workforce quality.

Expanding overseas markets must go hand in hand with better vocational skills, foreign language proficiency, discipline, industrial working practices and understanding of the host country's culture. Workers will also be guided towards markets, occupations and programmes suited to their capabilities, he said.

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