The Immigration and Immigration Control Agency recently announced the latest number of foreign nationals with Specified Skilled Worker on its website.

As of the end of June 2023, the number of foreign nationals with Specified Skilled Worker was 173,101. This is an increase of 1.32 times from the previously announced figure of 130,923 as of December 31, 2022.

While there was an increase in all sectors, the growth rates were particularly notable in the restaurant industry (up 1.71-fold) and construction (up 1.44-fold) sectors.

The number of workers in the food service industry was 1,960 at the end of December 2022, and 3,683 at the end of June 2023. Although the number of foreign nationals in the food service industry is still small, accounting for only about 5% of the total number of specified skilled foreign nationals, due in part to the slow start of the skills test, it is a field that is likely to grow in the future due to the labor shortage.

By field, the largest number of foreign workers were in the food and beverage manufacturing industry (53,282 (30.8% of the total), the materials, industrial machinery, electrical and electronic information-related manufacturing industry (35,641 (20.6%), the nursing care industry (21,915 (12.7%), the agricultural industry (20,882 (12.1%), the construction industry (18,441 (10.7%)), the food and beverage industry (20,882 (12.1%)), and the construction industry (18,441 (10.7%)). (10.7%), followed by the food service industry with 8,842 (5.1%).

By prefecture, Hyogo Prefecture increased by 1,479 from the end of December 2022 to rank 10th in the nation with 6,531 foreign nationals with the Specified Skilled Worker.

Aichi Prefecture ranked first with 14,739, followed by Osaka Prefecture with 10,364, Saitama Prefecture with 9,968, Chiba Prefecture with 9,915, and Ibaraki Prefecture with 9,529.

At present, more than 70% of the specified technical skills are transferred from technical intern trainees, but as more and more examinations are held overseas, the number of specified technical foreign nationals who pass the examinations and enter Japan continues to increase.

By country, Vietnam continues to be in first place with 97,490 (56.3% of the total), accounting for the overwhelming majority of foreign nationals with specified skilled worker.

Indonesia followed with 25,337 (14.6% of the total), the Philippines with 17,660 (10.2%), China with 11,409 (6.6%), Myanmar with 8,016 (4.6%), Cambodia with 3,659 (2.1%), Thailand with 3,499 (2.0%), and Nepal with 3,428 (2%). The number of visitors was as follows. The number of visitors was as follows.

Various procedures are required when hiring a foreign national with Specified Skilled Worker. Depending on the nationality of the foreigner to be employed, there are cases in which procedures are required for each country.

Please feel free to contact us for consultation regarding employment, labor management, and status of residence for foreigners, including those with Specified Skilled Worker.

As both a social insurance and labor law office and an administrative scrivener office, we can provide one-stop advice not only on matters related to immigration laws and visas for employed foreigners, but also taking labor laws into consideration.