As many as 8,752 of the workers went to Taiwan, 4,295 to the Republic of Korea, 2,678 to Japan, 2,646 to UAE, 1,715 to Macau, 1,389 to Russia and 10,703 to several other countries.

The total number of workers exported meets only 30 per cent of this year’s target and is 17 per cent lower than the same period last year.

Dao Cong Hai, vice director of the Overseas Labour Management Department, said the global economic crisis might be easing, but it is unlikely that the country will meet its yearly target of sending 90,000 workers abroad.

Since the end of 2008, the number of Vietnamese workers returning home after they lost their jobs abroad has reached approximately 8,000.