Statistics from the Viet Nam Association of Manpower Supply show that as of October more than 16,280 workers had gone to Japan this year, the first time ever the number has exceeded 15,000.

Fifty labour companies have sent at least 200 workers there.

Nguoi Lao Dong (Labourer) newspaper quoted Nhat Hy Khang Company as saying labour supply to Japan is booming and it expects to hire 300 workers in all this year.

Tracimexco, a company also sending Vietnamese workers to Japan, which has sent 200 people to the country, plans to send totally 300 worker to the country till the end ofthis year, according to the paper.

Vu Thanh, director of Tracimexco, told the newspaper: “We have permanent recruitment co-operation with more than 20 associations and trade unions in Japan. Each month we sign 10 contracts. In order to meet the demand, we have to [hire] 200-300 workers [this year].”

But Esuhai Limited Company is the leader after obtaining contracts for 700 workers of whom 400 have left for Japan. Le Long Son, the company’s general director, told the newspaper that 500 is achievable this year.

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

Until 2012 China supplied 80 per cent of Japan’s labour needs, sending 60,000 workers each year. Viet Nam used to account for around 10 percent.

But since last year the number of Chinese workers going to Japan has been falling dramatically, forcing Japan to look to countries like Viet Nam, Indonesia, and Philippines.

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

In the last quarter of this year an expected 1,700 Vietnamese workers will go to Japan every month, taking the total for the year to 21,000.