Working in Japan and an unfinished dream

Unfinished because of the yen devaluation

In early 2022, Ms. Nguyen Thi Nhung in Chi Lang Bac commune (Thanh Mien) decided to go to Japan to work with the hope of soon improving her family's life. In addition to all the capital that the couple had saved, she borrowed nearly 100 million VND to complete the procedures for going abroad. About 6 months later, Ms. Nhung was introduced to work at a store in Shiga province. The heavy workload and language barrier made her life in the land of cherry blossoms even more difficult. Not only that, the continuous fall in the value of the Japanese yen directly affected Ms. Nhung's income and many of her original plans.

Ms. Nhung said: "The cost of working in Japan is about 200 million VND. According to calculations, I only need to work hard for 1 year to pay off all the debt and get my capital back. However, the Japanese yen is constantly depreciating, making my income very little. Every day, reading the news about the sharp drop in the yen exchange rate, we become more and more restless and worried."

Currently, Ms. Nhung's total income is about 170,000 yen/month, converted to Vietnamese currency is more than 29 million VND, down about 20% compared to the beginning of 2022. According to Ms. Nhung, with taxes, fees, rent plus daily expenses in Japan, the amount of money saved is no different from her old job in Vietnam. She is trying to save as much as possible and has temporarily stopped sending money home to her family.

After more than ten years of working as a worker, Mr. Nguyen Van H. in Viet Hoa ward (Hai Duong city) still struggles with daily life. His children are in school age, so the economic burden is getting heavier. In 2021, Mr. H. discussed with his wife to borrow money to go to Japan to work. Going to a foreign country at a time of economic difficulty, there is little work leading to low income. It took more than a year for Mr. H. to save enough money to send back to his family to pay off the debt.

In 2023, because he was impatient to make money quickly, Mr. H. quit his job to work freelance. Because he was an illegal worker, in a short time, Mr. H. was discovered by Japanese authorities and deported back to his country. Mr. H.'s dream of going abroad to change his life had to be put on hold in a foreign land. Returning to his homeland, he sadly went looking for a job when he was over 40 years old.

"The Japanese currency has depreciated, so my monthly income is only about 27 million VND. After deducting all expenses, the money sent back to Vietnam is not worth much. There was a time when I did not exchange money to send back to my family because I felt sorry for the effort I put in and hoped the yen would increase again," said Mr. H.

In recent years, the Japanese economy has experienced many fluctuations, making the lives of Hai Duong people working in this country even more precarious. Many cases have had to return home early due to pressure from work and living expenses. Some workers even accept the risk of leaving to work abroad for higher income.

Demand decreased.

Low incomes have made many people in Hai Duong no longer interested in the Japanese labor export market. Some people accept to forfeit their deposits or transfer their applications to other more stable and potential markets. Mr. Nguyen Tuan Anh in Ung Hoe commune (Ninh Giang) said: "In February, I applied to study in Japan. However, after consulting some friends who are working there, I changed my decision. The reason is that the cost of going to Japan is still quite high while the income is not as stable as before. I plan to go to Korea to work."

According to Mr. Le Van Binh, Director of NewStar DVB Group Education Joint Stock Company (Hai Duong City), the labor export market to Japan is much quieter than before. Since the beginning of the year, the company has only had about 60 labor orders in this market, down 60% compared to the same period last year. The reason is economic inflation, many people are not interested in this market. Workers are comparing Japan with other countries such as China, Korea, Germany, Australia...

According to the report of the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, since the beginning of the year, about 2,630 Hai Duong workers have gone to work in Japan under contracts, down about 30% compared to the same period last year. Although not as vibrant as before, Japan is still a potential market and suitable for Vietnamese workers in general and Hai Duong in particular.

In recent times, Hai Duong has actively implemented activities to promote cooperation and labor export to Japan. However, workers need to comply with the laws of the host country and should choose programs organized by state agencies and businesses licensed to operate in the field of labor export to avoid risks and ensure all benefits.