Thanh Hoa (VNA) -Facing the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to a halt in labour export, companiesoperating in this sector in Thanh Hoa province have tried many ways to seek contracts for local workers.

Before the pandemic brokeout, the Thien An Manpower Supply and Import - Export Company (TAMAX Group),based in Thanh Hoa, sent about 2,000 - 2,500 people, including 600 - 700 in Thanh Hoa, to work in Japan, the Republic of Korea (RoK), China,Taiwan (China), and some European countries each year.

However, COVID-19 hashampered labour export since 2020, with only half of previous years’ figures reached.

To maintain operationspending foreign markets’ recovery, TAMAX Group has made use of social networks,given advice over the telephone, and organised online recruitment. As a result,it has managed to send 170 workers of Thanh Hoa to Romania since the start of2021, and it is also completing procedures for 120 others to work at foodprocessing factories in this European nation.

TAMAX Director Nguyen TrungKien said although numerous difficulties are forecast to remain, the companyhas built a plan for next year, under which morethan 1,000 people, including 500 - 600 in Thanh Hoa, will be sent to work abroad underfixed-term labour contracts.

Having engaged in labourexport for more than 10 years, the Vinaco International Labour ForceCooperation JSC has also been strongly affected by the pandemic. In thepre-COVID-19 period, it sent thousands of workers to European and Asian countrieseach year, but the number of people registering for labour export has droppedby over 60 percent since the pandemic began.

To prepare for markets’recovery, the company has taken flexible actions to seek orders. As Japan,the RoK, and Taiwan have yet to open their doors to foreign workers, Vinaco isworking to boost labour export to European countries, including Romania.

The Thanh Hoa Department ofLabour, Invalids and Social Affairs said amid the COVID-19 pandemic, localauthorities and labour export companies have been striving to maintaintraditional markets like Japan, Taiwan, and the RoK. Besides, positive signshave been seen in the export of labourers to some others in Eastern Europe.

Since 2019, more than 19,700people in Thanh Hoa have gone to work abroad, including nearly 4,000 in thefirst 10 months of 2021./.