PREAH VIHEARL: August 21, 2026 Cambodia’s Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, together with the Preah Vihear provincial administration, the National Social Security Fund and private-sector employers, held a job forum in Chey Saen district on Friday to connect local residents, young people, workers and returning migrant labourers with employment opportunities inside the country.

More than 500 people attended the forum, which brought together job seekers, companies, enterprises and private-sector representatives as Cambodia seeks to absorb workers returning from Thailand and expand domestic employment opportunities.

The initiative comes as the government has stepped up efforts to reintegrate returning migrant workers into the domestic labour market through job fairs, skills training and social-security programmes. Similar employment forums held elsewhere in Cambodia this year have linked returning workers and local job seekers with vacancies while providing information on vocational training and social protection.

Preah Vihear provincial governor Kim Rithy said nearly 1,000 Cambodian migrant workers who had previously worked in Thailand had returned to the province, including more than 100 from Chey Saen district.

According to the governor, more than 500 of the returnees have subsequently found employment in companies and enterprises operating in sectors including industry, agro-industry, construction, tourism and services. Others have turned to self-employment, including small-scale trading, farming and other small businesses.

Kim Rithy said the provincial administration was working to expand employment and livelihood opportunities while supporting the development of small and medium-sized enterprises that could generate additional jobs and income for local communities. “People and workers can now find employment and income opportunities at home that are increasingly competitive with those available in neighbouring countries,” Kim Rithy said.

He argued that employment in Cambodia also allows workers to remain closer to their families, while reducing the distance and other difficulties associated with overseas employment.

Yim Sinan, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, said the forum was designed to increase participation in the domestic labour market, expand employment opportunities for residents and returning migrant workers, and provide information on social security and technical and vocational education and training.

“The forum is a mechanism for providing accurate information and real employment-market opportunities to people and young people who are unemployed or looking for work,” Yim Sinan said.

 

He said the government was paying particular attention to Cambodian migrant workers returning from Thailand, with the aim of helping them secure jobs, livelihoods and sufficient income to support their families and contribute to Cambodia’s economy.

The ministry has been using job fairs across the country as a bridge between returning migrant workers and domestic employers. Earlier this year, similar forums in western Cambodia helped thousands of returning workers and local residents access employment and vocational-training opportunities.

Yim Sinan urged residents to consider available domestic jobs, saying there were more than 1,000 vacancies available through companies, enterprises, large factories and special economic zones across the country.

The forum also promoted Cambodia’s National Social Security Fund, or NSSF, as an important component of formal employment.

Yim Sinan said workers employed legally in Cambodia can access social-protection schemes covering occupational risks, healthcare and pensions. Cambodia’s social-security framework provides coverage for occupational injuries and healthcare for workers under the relevant schemes.

Government programmes have increasingly linked employment services with social-security registration, particularly for workers returning from overseas. The National Social Security Fund has also conducted outreach aimed at helping returning migrant workers understand healthcare, pension and occupational-risk benefits.

Yim Sinan also urged Cambodians to avoid irregular migration, warning that undocumented employment can expose workers to exploitation, violations of labour rights and limited access to legal protection.

He advised people seeking employment overseas to use legally licensed recruitment companies and verify information with the relevant authorities before travelling.

The government has promoted Hotline 1297 for employment and job-matching services and 1286 for labour and NSSF-related information. Cambodia’s Telecommunications Regulator also lists 1297 and 1286 among official public-service numbers associated with labour and social-security services. “Our returning workers should take the opportunity to work in Cambodia, support their families and contribute to the national economy,” Yim Sinan said.

The government’s employment drive reflects a broader effort to make domestic employment a viable alternative for Cambodian workers returning from Thailand, combining immediate job placement with vocational training and social protection.

For workers who have returned to their home provinces, the challenge now extends beyond finding a job: it is also about securing stable incomes, developing marketable skills and gaining access to social protection that can provide longer-term security for themselves and their families.