Over 400K new jobs expected as Cambodia okays 600 projects in 10 months

Over 400K new jobs expected as Cambodia okays 600 projects in 10 months

The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training is encouraging Cambodians, particularly former migrant workers from Thailand, to consider and prioritise working within the country.

In the first 10 months of 2025, Cambodia approved investment of nearly 600 factories and enterprises, creating potential job opportunities for more than 400,000 people, according to Sun Mesa, spokesperson for the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MLVT).

Mesa told Khmer Times yesterday that in the first 10 months of 2025, Cambodia approved 572 factory and enterprise projects, which could create around 400,000 new job opportunities, especially for Cambodian workers returning from Thailand.

He added that the MLVT currently has more than 80,000 available job vacancies for Cambodians seeking employment locally.

“The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MLVT) is encouraging Cambodians, particularly former migrant workers from Thailand, to consider and prioritise working within the country,” said Mesa.

According to Mesa, as of October 2025, Cambodia had approximately 46,349 factories and enterprises employing more than 2 million workers. Of these, the textile and garment sector accounted for 1,810 factories and enterprises with over 1.1 million workers.

Regarding investment, Vei Samnang, Takeo Provincial Governor, told reporters last week that his province has recorded 149 newly established factories and enterprises in the first 10 months of 2025, reflecting a notable rise in investment, including agriculture, agro-industry, and the garment and footwear manufacturing sector.

Samnang said that presenting the province’s economic potential to investors is a key step in attracting investment.

“Before investors decide to invest in our province, we must first meet them and highlight our provincial strengths, such as a young and capable workforce, good infrastructure, large canals for transport, and a peaceful and secure environment,” he said.

According to Samang, Takeo province currently hosts 819 operational factories, providing employment to more than 120,000 workers. Of these, 135 are garment and footwear factories employing more than 100,000 workers, while 684 are non-garment factories with over 25,000 workers.

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