KYODO NEWS



 

The number of foreign workers in Japan reached a new high of over 2.57 million as of the end of last October, government data showed Friday, shattering the record for the 13th consecutive year, as the nation deals with a labor crunch.

The total of 2,571,037 marks an 11.7 percent rise from the previous year, with Vietnamese workers accounting for the largest proportion.

The data comes as campaigning for the Feb. 8 House of Representatives election draws attention to how to better integrate foreign residents, such as toughening rules for accepting them and promoting social cohesion.

The number of workplaces employing foreign nationals also hit a record high at 371,215, up 8.5 percent from a year earlier, with small businesses with fewer than 30 employees accounting for 63.1 percent of the total, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

By industry, manufacturing led other sectors with 635,075 foreign employees, accounting for 24.7 percent of them, followed by the services sector excluding food and drink services at 391,946.

The medical and welfare sector, including long-term care, saw the biggest growth of 25.6 percent from the previous year.

Holders of the Specified Skilled Worker visa, which allows people from overseas to work in labor-strapped industries, rose 38.3 percent to 286,225.

By nationality, Vietnamese workers made up the largest group at 605,906, or 23.6 percent of the total, followed by Chinese at 431,949, or 16.8 percent, and Filipinos at 260,869, or 10.1 percent.