Japan's tally of specified skilled workers hits record 390,296

Japan introduced the specified skilled worker residency program in 2019 to expand the acceptance of foreign workers amid domestic labor shortages
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Foreign residents in Japan holding the country's specified skilled worker status totaled a record 390,296 at the end of 2025, the Immigration Services Agency said Friday.Of the total, holders of the Type 2 status for highly skilled workers came to 7,955, about 2.6 times the level six months earlier
Holders of the Type 1 status are nearing the acceptance cap in the restaurant industry, with approvals set to be halted temporarily from April 13.Japan introduced the residency status program for specified skilled workers in 2019 to expand the acceptance of foreign workers amid domestic labor shortages.The Type 1 status covers 16 sectors, including food services, nursing care, construction, accommodation and agriculture
It permits employment for up to five years
The Type 2 status, now applied in all but five sectors such as nursing care, allows workers to bring their families and effectively offers open-ended stays.The agency said the increase in Type 2 status-holders reflects more Type 1 workers nearing or reaching the five-year limit of their residency and taking the required exams to transition to Type 2.In the restaurant sector, Type 1 workers totaled about 46,000 as of the end of February and are projected to exceed the 50,000 ceiling by around May
The agency will therefore suspend Type 1 certification in the industry
Aichi Prefecture hosted the most such workers.Looking ahead, a new skill-development and employment program, set to replace the existing technical intern system, will start in 2027, aiming to raise foreign workers accepted as unskilled labor to Type 1 specified skilled workers within three years.

KEYWORDS
foreign workers(https://www.japantimes.co.jp/tag/foreign-workers), immigration(https://www.japantimes.co.jp/tag/immigration), jobs(https://www.japantimes.co.jp/tag/jobs), Immigration Services Agency(https://www.japantimes.co.jp/tag/immigration-services-agency)
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