Vietnamese migrant workers spend average 126 million VND for overseas jobs

A report by the General Statistics Office and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reveals that Vietnamese migrant workers spent an average of approximately 126 million VND to secure overseas employment in 2025. This represents a 23.8% decrease from the 165 million VND average recorded in 2021.

Despite the decrease in costs, financial burdens remain significant. Approximately 53% of surveyed workers had to borrow money to cover these expenses, with average loans amounting to 122 million VND. The largest single expense is paid to recruitment organizations or brokers, averaging nearly 53 million VND per person.

Costs vary by destination: Japan requires an average of 141 million VND, South Korea approximately 139 million VND, and Taiwan around 130 million VND. However, the economic outlook for workers has improved as the average first-month income abroad rose to 28.1 million VND, up from 22.4 million VND in 2021. This shift has reduced the number of months of salary required to recoup initial costs from 7.4 to 4.5.

Legal reforms, specifically the 2020 Law on Vietnamese Workers Working Abroad under Contract, have contributed to these changes by prohibiting brokers from collecting fees from workers and capping service fees.