In response to a worsening labor shortage caused by an aging population, Japan recorded its largest-ever increase in the number of foreign workers, according to Japanese government data. As of October 2024, the country had 2.3 million foreign workers, up about 254,000 from the previous year, according to data from the Ministry of Labor.
This is the largest increase since records began in 2008 and the latest in a series of recorded annual increases.
The number of foreign workers in 2014 was about three times higher than the same period last year when there were 788,000.
According to the World Bank, Japan has the second-fastest aging population in the world after Monaco, but its relatively strict immigration restrictions have led to a worsening labor shortage.
Data released Friday showed that Vietnamese, Chinese, and Filipinos are the three largest nationalities among foreign workers in Japan.
The most common occupations held by foreign workers include manufacturing, hospitality, and retail.
A significant proportion of foreign workers, or 20.4 percent, continue to be covered by the “Technical Internship Program.”
The government-sponsored program is reportedly Japan’s attempt to provide participants from countries such as China and Vietnam with professional experience they can use in their home countries.
But critics have long described it as a “back door” for foreign workers in a conservative country that does not officially acknowledge it is open to immigration.
The internship program has long been plagued by allegations of discrimination and physical abuse.
