251,747 is the number of international workers registered by the end of June for Japan’s specified skilled worker visa, accounting for a 20.8 percent increase compared with six months ago, based on the statistics from the Immigration Services Agency.
Until April 2029, the government of Japan aims to attract a total of 820,00 international workers under the specified skilled worker program, VisaGuide.World reports.
Japan is currently dealing with labor shortage in several industries and, therefore, is attempting to bring in a larger number of international workers.
Authorities in Japan established a new status of residence back in 2019, called “Specified Skilled Worker (SSW)” in order to welcome specialists from other countries to work in Japan in different fields.
A report from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) said that Japan is expected to face a significant shortage of nearly one million workers by 2040.
As a result, the number of international workers in Japan is expected to reach a total of 5.91 million by 2040, according to the agency.
In addition, according to Statista, the number of certified care workers in Japan has increased in the past ten years, reaching a total of 1.94 million in 2023.
However, according to Statista, considering the country’s growing aging population, the figure is expected to increase further.
Due to the low birth rates and the high life expectancy, the number of people aged 65 and older in Japan is increasing and is projected to reach a share of over 38 per cent of the population in Japan by 2060.
Easier Rules for Job Transfers
As part of efforts to facilitate the living and work process for international workers, authorities in Japan recently decided to permit foreign trainees to transfer jobs more easily.
According to local media reports, starting in October, authorities in Japan will facilitate rules for international trainees planning to transfer jobs.
The decision came after the number of persons who quit their jobs without notice due to poor working conditions as well as other reasons reached 9,753 last year.
The figures from the Justice Ministry revealed that the number of persons leaving trainee jobs without notice has increased significantly, reaching a total of 9,006 registered in 2022, from 5,885 registered in 2020.
The same source revealed that about half of these international workers were involved in construction-related jobs.