Up to an estimated 820,000 foreign “specified skilled workers” will be accepted in Japan within the five-year period starting fiscal 2024.
The figure is more than twice as many as that for a five-year period which was set in 2019 when the specific skill visa was introduced. The visa status was created to help domestic industries cope with the worsening labor shortage, and the new estimate suggests Japan will become increasingly dependent on foreign talent.
The estimates for the coming five-year period were made by related agencies and ministries and include the four newly proposed industries. Sources close to the matter have revealed figures from fiscal 2024 for the 12 industries currently in place: 173,300 skilled workers are expected in the manufacturing industry, 139,000 in food and beverage production, 80,000 in construction and 78,000 in farming. The estimates for these industries through fiscal 2023 respectively stood at 49,750 – 87,200 – 34,000 and 36,500 such workers.
Of the four new categories, 24,500 are expected in motor vehicle transport, which includes bus and taxi drivers, while an estimated 3,800 will join the railroad industry as drivers, conductors, railroad-related engineers and other professions.
Including specified skilled workers, the total number of foreign laborers in Japan surpassed 2 million for the first time in October 2023, setting a record high for the 11th year in a row. With the increase, it is expected that companies accepting foreign workers will be required to provide Japanese language training, education and other supports.
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