The number of Vietnamese guest workers going to Japan has increasedsharply in recent years as supply from China, the main provider forlong, has dried up.

Statistics from the Vietnam Association ofManpower Supply show that as of October more than 16,280 workers hadgone to Japan this year, the first time ever the number has exceeded15,000.

Fifty labour companies have sent at least 200 workers there.

NguoiLao Dong (Labourer) newspaper quoted Nhat Hy Khang Company as sayinglabour supply to Japan is booming and it expects to hire 300 workers inall this year.

Tracimexco, a company also sending Vietnameseworkers to Japan, which has sent 200 people to the country, plans tosend totally 300 workers to the country till the end of this year,according to the paper.

Vu Thanh, director of Tracimexco, toldthe newspaper: "We have permanent recruitment cooperation with more than20 associations and trade unions in Japan. Each month we sign 10contracts. In order to meet the demand, we have to [hire] 200-300workers [this year]."

But Esuhai Limited Company is the leaderafter obtaining contracts for 700 workers of whom 400 have left forJapan. Le Long Son, the company's general director, told the newspaperthat 500 is achievable this year.

Esuhai has ties with 50 Japanese small-and-medium-sized enterprises that supply manpower to 300 factories in Japan.

Until2012 China supplied 80 percent of Japan's labour needs, sending 60,000workers each year. Vietnam used to account for around 10 percent.

Butsince last year the number of Chinese workers going to Japan has beenfalling dramatically, forcing Japan to look to countries like Vietnam,Indonesia, and the Philippines.

With Japan speeding upconstruction for the 2020 Olympics, is demand for Vietnameseconstruction workers has shot up in recent months.

In the lastquarter of this year an expected 1,700 Vietnamese workers will go toJapan every month, taking the total for the year to 21,000.-VNA