There is a reality that for many years, the issue most discussed and concerned by trade union organizations and functional agencies for the out-of-province labor force in major cities is often jobs and monthly income.
That is also completely understandable, because the first purpose of most workers when leaving their hometown is to find a better job, earn extra income and improve their family life.
However, recently, when jobs and incomes between localities are no longer as different as before, the issue of competition to retain workers is raised, then having jobs and good income is only part of the advantage.
A worker can come to city A for a job, but for them to decide to stay for a long time depends on many other things.
In which, the most important thing is accommodation suitable for income; children have convenient places to study; safe travel; easy access to medical services when sick and after a working day, they have living and entertainment spaces like other residents of the city.
In other words, to retain workers, localities must create a real "life" for them, not just create one job.
The competition to attract labor now and in the future, in addition to the issue of jobs and wages between businesses, is also the competition for living environment between localities.
The time when industrial parks were planned like "production oasis", where tens of thousands of people came to work every morning and then returned to residential areas lacking infrastructure in the evening is over.
Now, where there are many workers working, housing, transportation, schools, healthcare, culture, commerce and other essential services must be considered at the same time.
Reality has shown that when the labor force is constantly fluctuating, it will cause businesses to spend on recruitment and training costs and affect productivity. Conversely, when workers can stabilize their lives, they have more reason to stick with businesses and localities.
Finally, the most important thing is that migrant workers should not be always seen as "temporary residents" coming to the city to provide labor.
They work in factories, create products, contribute to growth, use services and participate in the socio-economic life of the locality. Therefore, they need to be seen as a real part of the community where they live.
Localities must have mechanisms and policies for migrant workers who earnestly want to bring their wives, husbands, and children to live together; want to buy or rent a house for a long time; want their children to study and grow up in that city as a second homeland.
