Employment Measures for Foreign Workers

## Overview Basic Concept of Employment Measures for Foreign Workers

Acceptance range of foreign workers is decided with comprehensive consideration given to "impact on the industries of Japan, the people's life, etc.".

## [Employment Countermeasures Act] (revised in June, 2007, enforced on October 1, 2007)

• Measures that the government must take are clarified as follows.

Promotion of employment of foreign workers in specialized and technical fields

Improvement of employment management and promotion of reemployment of foreign workers

Prevention of illegal work by foreign workers

• Employers are obliged to make efforts to improve employment management and support reemployment of foreign workers, and to report the situation of employment of foreign workers.

• Guidelines that detail the measures business operators are obliged to take for the employment management improvement of foreign workers have been notified in accordance with the Employment Countermeasures Act.

## [Basic principles of the employment policy

## (Notification by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare in April 2014)]

From the point of view of invigorating Japan's economy and strengthening international competitiveness, accepting and providing retention support for foreign nationals with advanced abilities and qualities is important and therefore efforts will be made by the entire government in developing work environments and living environments for them.

In addition to promoting employment management improvements in enterprises, their stable employment needs to be secured and work styles according to their motivation and abilities realized by holding training courses for improving Japanese language abilities, etc. and vocational training and facilitating subscription to social insurance, etc.

* The extent to which foreign workers are accepted is determined in comprehensive consideration of “the effects on Japanese industry and public welfare” under the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act and expansion of the extent requires national debate with consideration given to the impacts on the labour market, medical care, social security, education, local communities, and people’s lives, including public security, etc.

## [Support for foreign workers in specialized and technical fields]

• Promotion of employment of foreign workers in specialized and technical fields by utilizing the nation-wide network mainly consisting of Employment Service Centers for Foreign Workers (Tokyo, Aichi, Osaka).

• Promotion of employment of foreign students in Japan in collaboration with college graduates sections of Hello Works and concerned sections of colleges, and implementation of internship programs for foreign students.

## [Measures for appropriate and stable employment of foreign workers]

• Promotion of improvement in foreign workers employment management by disseminating and enlightening employers the Foreign Workers Guidelines and by instructing them at offices based on the Guidelines

• Implementation of flexible employment measures to cope with the rapid aggravation in the employment situation of foreign workers of Japanese ancestry.

1) Flexible measures to reinforce the consultation and support functions of Hello Works by increasing interpreters and counselors, etc.

2) Implementation of working preparation training including improvement of communication ability in Japanese.

Notification of the reporting system that all employers are obliged to report the situation of foreign workers employment (part of the employers' compliance)

## Detailed Data

## Percentage of foreign worker by status of residence

Source: “Situation of Notified Foreign National Employment Status” (as of the end of October 2013), MHLW

(Note 1) “Status of residence based on personal status or position” includes “permanent resident”, “spouse or child of Japanese

(Note 2) “Status of residence in specialized/technical field” includes “professor”, “artist”, “religious activities”, “journalist”,