Filipinos, third biggest population among Japan’s 1M foreign workers

Foreign workers in Japan reached 1 million in 2016, the first time such happened last year, according to Japanese government.

1,083,769 foreigners were recorded to be working in Japan at the end of October, 19.4% higher than the previous year, according to the ministry. Chinese workers top the number with 6.9% to 345,000 accounting, followed by Vietnam with 56.4% to some 172,000. Filipinos are up 19.7% at 128,000 in accounting.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been quoted to have said that the government will be reviewing rules for foreign workers, as foreign labor will be needed for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics in 2020. Immigration laws have also been revised to accommodate more workers in the healthcare sector, and Japan government is also deciding to expand their industrial training programs to allow foreign workers to stay for five years.

Source: Inquirer