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Toward a Comprehensive Estimate of the Number of Foreign Workers in Japan

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  • Matthias HENNINGS
  • Scott MINTZ

Abstract

Foreign workers are playing an increasingly important role in Japan’s economy, but their total number is undetermined. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) publishes an annual study on the number of foreign workers reported by employers; however, its data is not comprehensive or reliable because it ignores important categories of workers and does not include unreported employees due to the data collection process. In this article, a new method is proposed for providing a comprehensive estimate of the total number of foreign workers based on national census results and data on foreign residents issued by the Ministry of Justice. Estimates of the total number of workers are calculated for the years 2009 to 2016, and compared with the MHLW’s data. The estimates calculated with the proposed method are consistently above the MHLW’s figures over those years, and about 35% higher in 2016. The reasons for the differences are explained, and it is argued that the proposed method enables more credible and realistic data than the results of the MHLW’s annual study.

Suggested Citation

  • Matthias HENNINGS & Scott MINTZ, 2018. "Toward a Comprehensive Estimate of the Number of Foreign Workers in Japan," Social Science Japan Journal, University of Tokyo and Oxford University Press, vol. 21(1), pages 103-115.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:sscijp:v:21:y:2018:i:1:p:103-115.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/ssjj/jyx045
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