According to a labor ministry press release, the number of foreigners employed in Fukuoka Prefecture jumped 24.3% year-on-year to 19,831, the highest number on record since mandatory reporting began in 2007. The number of enterprises hiring foreigners also hit a record high of 4,111,419 more than last year. By nationality, the large majority of foreign employees are Chinese (8,501), followed by Nepalese (3,134), Vietnamese (2,840), Filipinos (1,655) and Koreans (840), all of which have seen numbers increase since last year. However, around 43%, or 8,676, of these workers are international students with work permits, followed by people with permanent residency or spouse visas (20%), specialist/technician visas (16%), and trainee visas (15%). The wholesale and retail sectors account for most of the employment (26%), and enterprises with fewer than 30 employees hire the most foreigners (47%). Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare press release 2/27
(Photo: provided by the City of Fukuoka)
