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VIETNAM'S 26 MILLION MIGRANT WORKERS FUEL ECONOMIC MIRACLE
Economic dynamism and social challenges
As Vietnam modernizes, millions of migrants, many young women, pour from the countryside into the cities in search of work. But with low wages, unstable jobs, and being far away from their families, migrants are vulnerable to exploitation. Attitudes toward migrant workers are also often shaped by perceptions of the pressure they place on urban infrastructure and potential social problems they bring rather than as a dynamic labor source fueling Vietnam's booming economy. No one government department is responsible for migrant social policy, which means that their specific challenges frequently fall between the cracks. In Ha Noi, the government estimates that only 11 percent of newly resident laborers have work contracts, and Ministry of Health statistics show 90 percent of new residents from the countryside have no social insurance. The expense and bureaucratic convolutions of accessing basic health and education services put them beyond the reach of many.
This past year, we worked closely with Vietnamese civil society in Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City to provide thousands of migrant workers with health consultations, employment services, IT and foreign language skills, and legal counseling. We also trained their staff in these areas and provided opportunities for them to network with one another so that the support they provide to migrant workers can be sustained in the long term.
— DANG THI HANH
Program Officer, Ha Noi