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Japan remained the top destination, taking in 24,030 Vietnamese workers, including 10,750 women, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Taiwan followed with 21,104 workers, 6,752 of them women. South Korea received 3,217, China 1,498, Singapore 704, Greece 441 and Russia 344.

In May alone, 11,948 Vietnamese workers left under labor contracts, 3,930 of which were women. Taiwan led with 5,764 workers, including 1,664 women, ahead of Japan’s 4,608 workers, which included 2,096 women. South Korea welcomed 423, while China accepted 396.

Japan has recently broadened its Specified Skilled Worker program, adding linen supply, logistics warehousing, and resource circulation to lift the number of eligible sectors to 19 from 16.

Several existing categories were also revised and expanded. Starting April 2027, automobile maintenance and repair and food and beverages will be split into more specialized occupations to better match the market’s labor needs.

Japan will also launch its Employment for Skill Development program that same month, covering 17 sectors, a move expected to open more pathways for foreign workers, including Vietnamese, to enter the Japanese labor market.

Japan lowered its SSW admission target for the April 2024–March 2029 period to 805,700 from 820,000. The ESD program, meanwhile, is projected to accept about 426,200 workers from April 2027 to March 2029.

The home affairts ministry reported that Vietnam’s workforce aged 15 and above is estimated at 53.6 million, with a participation rate of 68.3%. Total employment stood at 52.5 million, with 29.6% of workers holding formal qualifications or certificates.

Urban unemployment among the working-age population was 2.46%, well below the government’s 2026 cap of 4%. Agriculture accounted for 25.3% of the workforce, meeting the annual target.

During the first five months, 11,471 enterprises reported hiring demand for 432,323 workers. Foreign-invested firms made up 55.5% of total needs, and unskilled labor represented nearly 79% of vacancies.

However, hiring demand remains concentrated in major economic hubs and nationally significant projects, while labor supply is scattered across rural areas. The ministry flagged a lack of coordinated planning and support policies to fix the mismatch.

Hiring may decelerate in June amid global economic uncertainty and rising input costs. Middle East tensions could increasingly impact Vietnam’s labor market, driving up production costs, triggering job cuts and shorter working hours in labor-intensive industries such as apparel, footwear and export processing, and pushing workers from formal to informal employment.

Average monthly income for employed workers hit VND9.01 million (US$346) in the first quarter, up 7.4% from a year earlier. Salaried workers earned an average of VND10 million a month, up 5.3% year-on-year.