Local News

Low Number of Highly Skilled International Workers in Kyushu

According to sources such as the Kyushu Economic Research Association (Fukuoka City), Kyushu’s working-age population peaked in 1995 at 8.82 million, but had diminished by 14.3% to 7.55 million in 2015. It is estimated to decrease by 1.26 million within 20 years.

It is clear that there is a lack in both quality and quantity when it comes to engineers in the manufacturing industry and IT, as well as in many low skilled professions. The need for companies to secure a solid labor force is now an urgent issue if the economy is to achieve some kind of stability.

In 2015, there were 235,534 international workers engaged in specialized, technical fields such as engineering and management. The figure had flatlined at around 200,000 after the Lehman Shock in 2008, but has been on an upward trend since 2014. Nonetheless, the country is trying to attract new talent who can help innovate the technology industry in a number of ways, one of which is the introduction of a point-based system for overseas workers, which gives preference to highly skilled workers who excel in their area of expertise. When compared to the West and other countries in Asia, there is little doubt that Japan lags behind in its efforts to attract well-trained workers from abroad. The IMD (International Institute for Management Development) business school conducted a survey which revealed that Japan currently ranks 52nd in the world in terms of its attractiveness to highly skilled international workers.

There are 59,053 workers from overseas in Kyushu. The proportion of international students in employment and technical interns is higher than the national average, while the number of residents engaged in specialized industries is lower at 8,733. Companies in Kyushu are accepting employees who engage in simple labor, but it appears that they are not able to acquire highly skilled professionals. The later sections of this series will build on the topics raised here and take a look at immigrants who bring fresh vitality to the economy, as well as those engaged in entrepreneurial activities.


Original article from Nishinippon Shimbun (4/7/2017).

New Era of Immigration in Kyushu
The number of workers from abroad, including international students and technical interns in Japan, exceeded one million for the first time last year. This group of people form an indispensable component of the workforce, irrespective of the government’s position on immigration. Read more installments from this series here.

Category
Society
Fukuoka City
Published: Sep 6, 2017 / Last Updated: Sep 6, 2017

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