Vietnamese people are the most populous among foreign workers in Japan.

Người Việt đông nhất trong số lao động nước ngoài tại Nhật - 1 — The number of foreign workers in Japan exceeded 2 million for the first time in October 2023, according to data released on January 26 (Illustration photo: Yolo Japan).

According to data released by the Japanese Ministry of Labor on January 26, the number of foreign workers in the country in October 2023 was nearly 2.05 million, up 12.4% over the same period last year. This increase is also 6.9 percentage points higher than October 2022.

In terms of nationality, the Vietnamese labor group has 518,364 people, accounting for 25.3%. Followed by the Chinese labor group (397,918 people) and the Philippines (226,846 people).

By residence status, the number of visa holders issued to professionals increased the most, by 24.2%, to 595,904. Within this group, the number of people classified as “specified skilled workers” increased sharply by 75.2%, to 138,518, including nearly 69,500 Vietnamese and nearly 25,600 Filipinos.

Japan established the “specified skilled worker” visa to ease labor shortages in many fields. Applicants must pass a skills and Japanese language test. Many visa holders work in manufacturing or nursing care.

Highly skilled professionals include researchers, engineers and managers. This group receives special treatment in terms of accommodation, based on work history and annual income.

Although the weak yen has somewhat reduced the appeal of Japan to foreign workers, the number of workers coming to the country is still increasing. The biggest reason, according to Nikkei , is that income levels in Japan remain relatively high.

Political and economic instability in countries also drives workers to Japan. Workers from Myanmar, where the military took power in 2021, increased 49.9% from last year.

Highly skilled professionals are allowed to bring family members to Japan on their visas. The total number of foreign family resident visa holders in June 2023 was about 245,000, double the number a decade earlier.

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