Japan’s halt on new foreign restaurant workers fuels urban influx

Tokyo, Oct. 8 (Jiji Press)--In response to halting the acceptance of new foreign workers in Japan's restaurant sector in April, under Type I residency status for specified skilled workers, a noticeable trend has emerged. These workers, who typically enjoy up to five-year work permits, are gravitating towards urban areas, thereby intensifying labor shortages in rural regions.

According to a private-sector survey, the number of job vacancies in the industry for foreign workers with Type I status has surged 2.8 times since the April suspension. Furthermore, a survey conducted by Mynavi Global Corp. revealed that 46.4 percent of foreign specified skilled workers who found employment in the restaurant industry in July did so in six urban prefectures--Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama, Osaka, and Aichi--after previously working in other areas.

This figure rose from 31.9 percent in March, before the suspension, underscoring a growing shift of workers from rural to urban regions in pursuit of better wages. Motoki Yuzuriha, president of Mynavi Global, which assists foreign workers in securing jobs in Japan, noted that there is a substantial number of foreign workers opting to relocate to urban areas in search of higher earnings.