Labor shortage in Vietnam’s garment and textile factories has prompted manufacturers to call for prioritized vaccination of workers. As per an Intell Asia report, most garment and textile enterprises in the country have received orders for production till the end of this year. Over the past two months, all three plants of TNG Thai Nguyen Company have operated at full capacity to deliver products on time.

Nguyen Xuan Duong, Chairman, Hung Yen Garment Company (Hugaco) said, if the ongoing fourth wave of COVID-19 is not controlled, garment and textile enterprises would be in trouble because stopping production even for two weeks would sweep away more than 10 per cent of their revenues. Garment firms may have to transport products by air, instead of by sea, to meet delivery deadlines, he said adding, this will surely lead to losses.

Garment and textile firms are also encountering labor shortages caused by a common employment trend in the sector. In the first half of this year, recruitment demand in the Vietnamese garment and textile sector increased 50-60 percent against the same period last year. However, many people were no longer interested in working in the sector mainly because of low pay, according to recruitment service provider Navigos Group.

Duong said if more workers in the sector were vaccinated against COVID-19, production and export in the second half of this year would happen smoothly. His company is willing to cover the vaccination costs, he added. Le Tien Truong, Chairman, Vietnam National Textile & Garment Group (Vinatex), estimates the sector needs 300,000 doses of vaccines for 150,000 workers, but only 3,000 people have received the shots so far.