Introducing Foreign Workers to Japan ; Necessary or

Unnecessary ?

Saeka Morozumi

The Japanese new policy.　　　 By 朝日新聞　４月５日• 「外国人労働者受け入れ拡大、安倍政権」•

復興や東京五輪などで人手が不足する建設業で「技能実習」を終えた人の再就労を認めるほか、介護や農業、家事支援でも受け入れ拡大を検討する。人口が減り続けるなか、高齢化社会を支える働き手を確保するねら

いだ。

Japanese law

• At present, Japanese government does not accept 　 foreign workers who engage in simple labors.( 単純労働 )

• 　厚生労働省　 says… “ 外国人の就労は、「専門、技術的な能力や外国人ならではの能力に着目した人材」のみ許可する” ( 朝日新聞 2014.4.8)

Works which do not need special skill.(e.x. construction work, waitress)

Now… The number of foreign workers 　 is 　７２０ , ０００

303,886

95,505

80,170

31,781

26,820

78,274

国籍別外国人労働者

中国ブラジルフィリピン韓国ベトナムその他

中国（ 45%）

ブラジル（１５．５％）

韓国（５．７％）

その他（１８．８％）

フィリピン（ 11.2% ）

ベトナム（ 3.8% ）

( 厚生労働省　 H25.10.9)

The reason why Japan did not need foreign workers in 1960’. (compared to Europe)<Europe>① the popularity of heavy

industry.② The lack of labors after WW2.③ The lack of Flexibility because

of labor union

<Japan>① the popularity of saving

energy.② To enforce the power of

individual employees.③ The flexibility of using labors. (e.x. unofficial workers)

1780 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 19910

20

40

60

80

100

120

The number of foreign people who came to Japan for working.

the number of people who came to Japan for working

年

千人

What happened

??

「出入国管理及び難民認定法」

In １９９０

This law was revised.→ 　 government enlarged the sphere of regulation about foreign workers.

(e.x. foreign workers for researching, health care, transferring)

Japan v.s. Europe• Compared to Europe, Japanese standards about foreign workers are

quite limited.

Japan France Germany Sweden Switzerland0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Foreign workers /Working population （ %)

%

厚生労働省　2013 H.P. より

1. Introduction (background)2. Defining Term3. Evidence4. Analysis5. Conclusion

Outline

Definition

• What is foreign workers??　　　→　 A foreign worker is a person who works in a country other than the one of which he or she is a citizen. 　（ c.f. pregressive : Japanese-English dictionary ）

☆The type of foreign worker is various.　　　

The variation of foreign workers.

1. A permanent residence

( 身分に基づく在留資格者）

Permanent residences（永住者）

Spouses( 配偶者 )

Refugees( 難民 )

2. A Temporary worker（活動に制限のある出

稼ぎ労働者）

legal

illegal

Skilled workers, professionals ( 専門的、

技術的労働者 )

Technical intern students( 技能実習

者 )

Illegal workers( 不法

労働者 )

Type 　 ( 法務省Ｈ．Ｐ．　 2013 　引用 ) 　

外国人労働者類型の割合

専門的、技術的労働者 技能実習者 身分に基づく在留資格者 不法労働者 その他

専門的、技術的労働者（１８．２％）

技能実習者 (19.7 ％）

身分に基づく在留資格者 (45.2 ％）

不法労働者(11.2 ％）

その他(5.7 ％ )

About title

• Necessary….to accept foreign workers to Japan has merits for our country, so the government should promote that.

【開国論】

• unnecessary…to accept foreign workers has demerits for our country, so government should not admit them.

【鎖国論】

1. Introduction (background)2. Defining Term3. Evidence4. Analysis5. Conclusion

Outline

Ｅｖｉｄｅｎｃｅ　ｆｏｒ　ｎｅｃｅｓｓａｒｙ３－１　

　　　　　ｓｔｒａｔｅｇｙ３－２　

　　　　　ｌａｂｏｒ　ｓｈｏｒｔａｇｅ

Necessary 　 evidence ３－１： strategy

• Foreign workers play important roles in a new strategy of companies.• They have special skills which Japanese workers do not have.

economic growth …?!

Example : tourist industry

• To introduce foreign workers led to the company’s economic growth.

I decided to introduce Chinese workers as hotel staff. It is because many tourist from China come to our hotel. Our purpose of introducing foreign workers is to improve

our service skill.

(参照）http://www.hyosk.or.jp/ryugaku/siten/ 「外国人労働者を雇用している企業の視点」

Example : IT business　 ( 引用　 http://www.hyosk.or.jp/ryugaku/siten/)

☆Indian workers. → good at mathematics.

e.x. ( 株 )NTT コミュニケーションズ　　　　　　　 the president, 有馬　彰 , says…　　　

インドのトップビジネススクールはとてもクオリティの高い人材をさまざまな企業に提供しており、我々はそういった才能ある人材を教育してさまざまな国々の

IT 企業へ送る

Necessary 　 evidence ３－２； labor shortage

• The compensation for a labor shortage.

To employ foreign workers does not cost so much!! Cheap to employ. More and more workers.

The population of workers

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 ( 朝日新聞 201

→why??? ( 厚生労働省 2014)

Decreasing birthrate and aging population

65 years old people and 15~64 years old people will be

Half and half…???

According to 中村二郎 ( 外国人労働者問題　専門家）……

As aging is continue in our society, the number of working-age population will be dramatically down. And Japan will suffer

from chronic shortage of labors. Under this situation, government will have no choice

but to rely on foreign workers.

c.f. 日本経済 (2014.6.7)

Evidence for unnecessary

4-1 The problem of Japanese language

4-2

Crime

Unnecessary evidence 4-1: the problem of Japanese.

• It is too difficult for foreigners to master Japanese.• It takes long time for foreign workers to master Japanese.• The shortage of Japanese school.

More than 80% of companies think that foreign workers should acquire Japanese skill which is necessary on business.

参照ＪＩＬＰＴ

The lack of Japanese school

The number of foreigners who need to go to

Japanese school is totally over the number of Japanese teacher.

朝日新聞2012 ． 5.9

Unnecessary evidence 4-2 ; Ｃｒｉｍｅ　

H15 H16 H17 H18 H19 H20 H21 H22 H23 H24 H250

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

40614

47128 47865

40128

35869

3125727684

1980917272

15372 15419

2.4 4.4 1.8 2.82 2 3 5

外国人労働者の検挙件数 (平成１５－２５）

件

警察省 (2014 ）

1. Introduction (background)2. Defining Term3. Evidence4. Analysis5. Conclusion

Outline

出稼ぎ期 定住期 統合期

Ａ．社会的便益　　国の税収　　地方の税収　　社会保険料　　計

1811014553266

93138118023116

77528219322989

Ｂ．社会費用　　国の支出　　地方の支出　　社会保険給付　　計

128155524806

77848678916530

35659015158114134

( 労働省 2010年 )

Benefit for society( 社会的便益 )< disbursement from society( 社会費用 )

Analysis 3-1

Analysis for necessary 3-1 ; strategy　　　• To employ foreign workers becomes good strategy for company?? low Japanese ability. ➡　 It takes a long time for them to adapt to their work. ➡　 It is difficult to use them as good strategy soon.

The economic effect is worse rather than better

Analysis① necessary; strategy　　　• To employ foreign workers becomes good strategy for company?? low Japanese ability. ➡　 It takes a long time for them to adapt to their work. ➡　 It is difficult to use them as good strategy soon.

The economic effect is worse rather than better

Analysis for necessary　　　 3-2 ; the shortage of laborsWe cannot completely say that Japan will suffer from the shortage of labors.

no one can anticipate the balance of demand and supply.

The rise of labor productivity.

労働省　 201 ２

www5.cao.go.jp/keizai3/monthly_topics/.../topics_017.pdf(内閣府）2014.5 ．

Analysis necessary　　　 3-2 ; the shortage of laborsWe cannot completely say that Japan will suffer from the shortage of labors.

no one can anticipate the balance of demand and supply.

The rise of labor productivity.

The effective use of indigenous labor force. (国内労働力 )

潜在的労働者比率 (内閣府ＨＰより　 2014 ）

Analysis for necessary　　　 3-2; the shortage of laborsWe cannot completely say that Japan will suffer from the shortage of labors.

no one can anticipate the balance of demand and supply.

The rise of labor productivity.

The effective use of indigenous labor force. (国内労働力 )

Analysis for unnecessary　　　 4-1;The problem of Japanese

The problem of Japanese

• Foreign labors who can speak their own languages contribute to conduct negotiation with companies abroad.

abroad

　　 Japan

The need for foreign workers is

ability to negotiate in native language

ability to look through many papers in English.

English begin to be an official language in some companies.•楽天　　…　三木谷社長　　 (since2010～ English became an official

language)　　 special interview

英語を公用語にしていなければ今の高い地位には至ってなかった。売り上げが伸びたばかりか、国際的なプレゼンスも上がり、入社する社員のクオリティーも非常に伸びた。大きなメリットとしては①エンジニアの採用の高度化　②日本のビジネスノウハ

ウを海外に浸透できた　ことだ。

( 楽天公式ホームページより )

Analysis for Unnecessary 4-1;the problem of Japanese.

• It is too difficult for foreigners to master Japanese.• It takes long time for foreign workers to master Japanese.• The shortage of Japanese school.

Analysis 　 for unnecessary　　　 4-2;Crime

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　(警察庁平成２５年）

H15 H16 H17 H18 H19 H20 H21 H22 H23 H24 H250

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000 刑法犯と特別法犯

刑法犯 特別法犯

1. Introduction (background)2. Defining Term3. Evidence4. Analysis5. Conclusion

Outline

Conclusion

Necessary

• Evidence 1 → 　 strategy

• Evidence 2 → 　 shortage of labors

Unnecessary

• Evidence 3 → 　 Japanese

• Evidence 4 → 　 Crime

1. Introduction (background)2. Defining Term3. Evidence4. Analysis5. Conclusion

Outline

From now..

• 　 This social issue should be considered not only from domestic aspect but also from global aspect.

• Japanese government should not rely on foreign workers too much.

• The government has to think about the way to make up for shortage of labors by using national labors effectively at first.

• By now, Japan does not prepare for society for making foreign workers adapt.

Thank you for your listening. 2014. 12. 2.

Finished!!!