ArrowArtboardCreated with Sketch.Title ChevronTitle ChevronIcon FacebookIcon LinkedinIcon Mail ContactPath LayerIcon MailPositive ArrowIcon Print
Japan immigration

Indonesians, Vietnamese form larger share of Japan's foreign workers

Weak yen and relatively low wages sap appeal for Chinese and Western workers

Many Indonesian workers have found jobs in Japan's short-handed agricultural sector. (Photo obtained by Nikkei)

TOKYO -- Japan's foreign workforce has seen its landscape change because of shifts in wages and exchange rates, with Vietnamese workers overtaking Chinese workers as the largest group last year while workers from Indonesia nearly tripled from 2018.

The total number of foreign workers in Japan had increased 40.3% in five years to 2.05 million as of October 2023, according to data from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

Sponsored Content

About Sponsored Content This content was commissioned by Nikkei's Global Business Bureau.

Nikkei Asian Review, now known as Nikkei Asia, will be the voice of the Asian Century.

Celebrate our next chapter
Free access for everyone - Sep. 30

Find out more