Vietnam pays the price at home for sending workers abroad

Vietnam’s seafood and garment sectors are facing a labour shortfall even with raised wages, as Hanoi expands a drive to send more workers overseas for higher-paying jobs. The contradiction reflects a broader challenge for the Southeast Asian country as it pushes to move up the value chain while banking on labour migration to generate remittance revenue, analysts say. According to the home ministry, between 130,000 and 150,000 Vietnamese go abroad to work annually. The overseas labour market...

By Vincent Tan