In 2040, Japan expects to be short of nearly a million foreign workers to support its economic growth.
According to a study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), 5.91 million foreigners will work in the country, which is almost a million less than needed to achieve the goals of economic growth of 1.24% per year.
The gap between supply and demand for foreign labor has almost doubled from the previous estimate of 2022 due to slow economic growth in emigration countries such as Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia.
The availability of foreign workers is critical for Japan, helping to fill labor shortages caused by a rapidly aging and declining birthrate. Over the past 15 years, their number has more than quadrupled to 2.05 million, representing about 3% of the country's total workforce as of October 2023.
The government has already expanded the program for obtaining work visas for various professions and qualifications. However, there are obstacles such as a weakening yen, low wages and human rights issues that make Japan more attractive to foreign workers.
It is also reported that Japan has decided to ease visa requirements for Ukrainian citizens effective June 24, promoting commercial ties between the countries.
