With an aim to invigorate its labor market, Japan has revised entry criteria for foreign workers, fostering a more welcoming environment for international professionals. Against this backdrop, the ministry disclosed that foreign workers in Japan earn an average salary of 232,600 yen.
TOKYO, JAPAN (Business Northeast) – With the announcement of relaxed entry conditions for foreign workers, Japan is witnessing a surge in interest from international job seekers. The government’s decision to broaden the “specific skills” target, adding sectors like automobile transportation, railways, forestry, and timber industries, aims to alleviate workforce shortages in critical sectors such as public transportation and logistics. The disclosure of the average salary of foreign workers at 232,600 yen, along with details on various residence statuses and their corresponding salaries, provides valuable insights for overseas individuals navigating job prospects in Japan.
The Japanese government has expanded the number of “specified skills” targets for foreign workers from the current 12 fields to 16 fields, adding four new fields: automobile transportation, railways, forestry, and wood industries. In addition to the original long-term care, building cleaning, agriculture, accommodation industry, fishery, catering industry, construction industry, shipbuilding industry, industrial machinery manufacturing industry, electrical, electronic intelligence related industries, automobile maintenance industry, aviation industry, food manufacturing industry, metal casting industry, a total of 16 industries. “Specified Skills No. 2” includes construction and shipbuilding, a total of 2 industries. This allows foreign job seekers to obtain a Japanese employment visa and engage in simple labor work without requiring specific academic qualifications, skills and practical experience.
In addition to regulations related to overseas employment, salary level is a key factor for foreign workers to choose cross-border employment. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan recently released the “2023 Salary Structure Basic Statistical Survey Overview”, which conducts statistics based on gender, age, education, industry and employment region. The average salary of Japanese general workers is 318,300 yen, and the average salary of foreign workers is 232,600 yen.
According to the basic statistical survey on salary structure, the average salary is divided into five types of foreign workers’ residence status. “Professional/technical fields (excluding specific skills)” have the highest salary, with an average monthly salary of 296,700 yen. This type is mainly for those with Those with knowledge and abilities in professional fields, including academic research, professional technology, and business management abilities.
The Japanese government has loosened restrictions on job transfer and residence for foreign workers, attracting a large number of overseas workers and boosting demand for rental housing. Rent in Japan includes management and repair fees, and related expenses need to be guaranteed together, making the overall accommodation cost higher. Due to the depreciation of the Japanese currency in the past two years, compared with China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea, housing prices in Japan are relatively reasonable, and buying a house to live in has become one of the options for many immigrants.
As Japan’s population decreases, various industries are facing manpower shortages. In order to improve the labor gap, the working conditions of foreign workers continue to be relaxed. Due to the similarity in food culture and living habits between Taiwan and Japan, going to Japan has become one of the employment options for Taiwanese workers. Refer to this data to choose your ideal job location and content, and realize your dream employment model.
