Today’s guest is Tu Phuong Nguyen, a lecturer of Asian Studies at the University of Melbourne. Tu’s research focuses on labor in Vietnam, particularly the country’s social insurance system.

We discussed the precarious nature of factory work, even in the vaunted tech manufacturing sector, the challenges facing social insurance after 2023’s mass layoffs in the garment and footwear industries, and the government’s troubled efforts to reform this system.

Keeping these issues in mind is vital in the context of the overall positive news regarding Vietnam’s FDI and manufacturing growth.

For more on this topic, check out my previous coverage, as well as Lien Hoang’s recent story for Nikkei Asia.

The Vietnam Weekly Podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or your preferred podcast platform.

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