Share of foreign workers Japan 2023, by region of origin

As of October 2023, around 25.3 percent of foreign workers in Japan were Vietnamese. Vietnamese workers therefore constituted the largest group among the increasing number of foreign workers in the country. Chinese workers came in second, accounting for 19.4 percent of foreign workers.

Rising number of foreign workers

The number of foreign nationals working in Japan rose by 12.4 percent in 2023, topping two million for the first time. Despite the significant increase in people seeking work in Japan over the past decade, foreign nationals only comprised around three percent of the total labor force. The largest proportion of people working in Japan were residing in the country based on their civil status. A similar share worked in professional or technical fields.

Businesses in need of foreign workers

Amid a shrinking workforce and severe labor shortages in some industries, many employers dependent on workers from abroad to secure their business. Over 318 businesses in Japan were reported to employ foreign workers, an increase of 6.7 percent compared to 2022. Manufacturing, services, and wholesale and retail together accounted for over 50 percent of the number of workers employed. Over one-third of foreign workers were working for small businesses which employed less than 30 people.