Following a pattern already established in China, apparel factories in Vietnam reported that only half of their workers showed up on Feb. 26 to resume production after the Lunar New Year holiday, although more workers were expected to return by March 3. Vietnam exported $25.4 billion worth of textiles and clothing in 2014, up 16 percent from the previous year. They are forecast to increase again by between 14 and 16 percent this year. The Vietnamese government reported that 21,000 unskilled workers showed up at a job fair on Jan. 11 to fullfill the growing production demands in the apparel, footwear and wood manufacturing industry, and that many were offered a monthly salary equivalent to more than US$200.

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