Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare said a Monday survey found 68.2%
of companies hire foreign workers to ease severe staff shortages, the top-cited
reason since the survey began in 2023. About 56% cited foreign workers' skills
and qualifications and 18% said hiring aimed to internationalize workplaces. The
results underscore corporate dependence on overseas labor even as Prime Minister
Takaichi moves to tighten rules for non-Japanese residents. Teikoku Databank
reported this month that over half of firms say full-time headcounts are
insufficient and nearly 30% report shortages of non-regular staff, as Japan's
population decline and ageing workforce push firms to increase foreign
recruitment.
