Japan is expecting 820,000 skilled migrant workers in the next five years.
The Asahi Shimbun reports that this move will sharply expand previous projections to address labour shortages in the country. The figure is reported to be more than the last five-year period when the “specified skilled workers” visa was inaugurated in 2019.
The plan was tabled before the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on March 18 for endorsement. It adds four new sectors to the list of industries where foreign workers can work.
The Cabinet is expected to approve the plan before the start of the new fiscal year on April 1.
The latest projection for five years through 2029 represents a 2.4-fold increase from the previous plan.
The government determines the number of workers it anticipates for each industry sector every five years. This prevents employment from being thrown into turmoil by an excessive intake. For the proposed plan, the government is adding road transportation, railways, forestry and timber industries to 12 existing fields for the Type 1 specified skilled labour visa.
