Vietnamese workers abroad want to go home

Of nearly 500 Vietnamese workers currently working in Southeast Asian countries, 71% of respondents said they are actively considering returning to their homeland to live and work within the next five years.

The stable development of many domestic sectors helps strengthen the decision to return of a part of Vietnamese workers abroad - Photo: CT

This is the result of a survey conducted by the Robert Walters Recruitment Consulting Group in July 2023 and just announced. Notably, this rate is higher than that of three other countries in the same region that were also surveyed this time: Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore with the rate of workers wanting to return home being 60%, 62% and 58% respectively.

Stable and prosperous economy

In the context of the global economy facing many fluctuations, the stable development of many prominent domestic fields helps strengthen the decision to return of a part of Vietnamese people working abroad .

According to Robert Walters, among those surveyed who said that economic factors had a positive impact on them, 66% said they believed in the stability and development of the Vietnamese economy. This was also the top reason why they chose to return.

In addition, the government ’s recent policies to encourage startups and promote business activities are also a driving force for returning home. These policies contribute to creating a vibrant and competitive economic environment, opening up opportunities for overseas Vietnamese who want to assert themselves and contribute to the development of their homeland.

In addition, the ratio between salary and cost of living in Vietnam is also an attractive factor for 44% of survey participants. Many respondents said that returning home would help them have a more comfortable and quality life.

Ms. Loan (35 years old), a freelance worker in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), said she is "racing" to complete her repatriation plan by the end of 2024. Even though she is returning to her homeland, Ms. Loan said she needs to be careful and fully prepared (savings, English, qualifications, work experience).

"I've been following the news a lot and see that the domestic economy has been improving in recent years. I'm an immigrant here, so it's quite stressful. The salary is high but the cost of living is also expensive, so I have to be very frugal," said Loan.

Close culture, close family

The results of this same survey also show other factors that increase the desire of Vietnamese workers abroad to return home. 62% said that the emotional, social and cultural connection to their homeland motivates them to return (up 13% compared to the survey in 2021). In addition, 40% of participants said they want to return home to take care of and be close to family and relatives.

This shows that the decision to "go home or stay home" is not only about career opportunities and income, but also about the importance of family and hometown for workers . Mr. Trong Hoang - a software engineer in Singapore - said that the COVID-19 pandemic helped him realize that being with family and relatives is more important than anything else.

The trend of working remotely during the pandemic is quite popular, helping him to do many jobs at the same time, increasing his income no matter where he is. "In three years, when I have saved up enough money and studied for another engineering degree, I will return to my country to be with my family but still work for corporations here," Mr. Hoang said about his plan.

The survey results can also be seen as an opportunity to attract human resources for domestic units for at least the next five years. The survey also points out the factors of work, salary and benefits that this group of human resources is interested in.

In terms of salary, 27% of respondents said they would accept a pay cut of 30% or less from their current salary upon return. Meanwhile, 26% said they wanted a salary that was commensurate with their experience and role, as well as the general labor market level. However, 22% said they would need to match their current salary after tax, and 19% said they would want a salary that was higher than their current salary.

The survey was conducted with Vietnamese workers abroad from many different industries: information technology, professional services, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, energy and renewables, retail... The order of priority according to the survey shows that when returning, Vietnamese people working abroad want to have the opportunity to participate in attractive projects, gain practical experience and have specific responsibilities at work. They give priority to businesses with a strong corporate culture, a leadership style that creates conditions for talent development, and open promotion opportunities...

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