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Is Japan's Foreign Workforce Really Growing Rapidly? Understanding the Government Statistics Behind the Myth

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2025

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Abstract

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The Japanese mass media has been reporting a rising number of foreign workers in Japan based on data published by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The Ministry's data, however, is neither derived from a comprehensive database of foreign workers, nor is it a credible source of information about the foreign workforce. This paper explains how the ministry arrives at its figures, why the reported rapid increase over the past decade is incorrect, and pinpoints flaws in its data collection process. Finally, we suggest a new approach for estimating the total number of foreign workers in Japan at a time when the Japanese government has proposed a significant increase in the number of foreign workers.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2018

References

Cabinet Public Relations Office. 2018. Abenomics: For future growth, for future generations, and for a future Japan.Google Scholar
Chiavacci, David. 2016. 'Migration and Integration Patterns of New Immigrants in Japan:Google Scholar