The Employment of Foreign Labor in Japan

The problems of foreign labor in Japan have become increasingly serious economically, politically, and socially in recent years. In response to increasing labor shortages and high wages in Japan, ever larger numbers of foreign workers are entering Japan and illegally engaging in unskilled work under poor working conditions. The amended law of immigration control was put into effect on 1 June 1990, strictly prohibiting the entrance of foreigners for unauthorized work while opening doors more widely for highly skilled and knowledgeable workers. This article first briefly reviews the recent penetration of the Japanese labor market by foreign workers and then discusses potential merits of international migration of workers as well as likely demerits or dangers associated with the spontaneous influx of foreign workers into Japan under the current institutional and social conditions. The article finally proposes a large-scale work and learn program jointly administered by the government and private sector as a policy remedy to maximize the merits, and to minimize the demerits, of accepting foreign workers.