The Department of Overseas Labor said 88,289 workers were sent to 40 countries and territories last year, mostly to “traditional” markets like South Korea, Taiwan, and Malaysia.

Le Van Thanh, deputy director of the department, said Japan had signed an agreement to hire nurses and orderlies from Vietnam and this was an opportunity for Vietnamese guest workers to earn high salaries in a highly respected line of work.

His department is also looking for more seasonal harvesting jobs in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Europe, he said.

Meanwhile, Libya is expected to welcome back foreign workers, including from Vietnam, in June. The turmoil last year forced the Vietnamese government to bring home more than 10,000 workers.

By Dinh Phu-Thu Hang - Thanh Nien News - January 27, 2012