46,000 Vietnamese seek work abroad

46,000 Vietnamese seek work abroad

HANOI: More than 46,000 Vietnamese left the country in 2002 to seek work abroad, prompted by unemployment and the possibility of higher wages, according to official figures released on Friday.

Malaysia, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea attracted the majority of the 46,112 individuals, according to a ministry of labor official.

Of those, more than 20,000 went to Malaysia, and 13,000 went to South Korea, the official added.

The lure of foreign work is increasing with many ending up in the region's industrial, electronic, textile, construction and even shipping industries.

Those who go to Japan, relatively few in number, are generally students and skilled workers.

Approximately 80-90 percent of the migrants are agricultural laborers or without jobs.

The authorities who actively encourage workers to move to neighboring countries and hope 50,000 will seek work abroad in 2003. -- AFP