About 1,270,000 foreign workers worked in Japan - the highest on record

Recently the NHK News On-line reported the following:

日本で働く外国人労働者127万人余 過去最多に

1月27日 4時38分

日本で働く外国人労働者は去年１２７万人余りと、統計を取り始めた平成２０年以降最も多くなったことが厚生労働省のまとめでわかりました。

厚生労働省によりますと、日本の企業で働く外国人労働者は去年１０月末の時点で１２７万８６７０人と、おととしの１０月末と比べて１９万４０００人、率にして１８％増加し、統計を取り始めた平成２０年以降最も多くなりました。

国別では中国人が最も多く３７万２０００人、次いでベトナム人が２４万人、フィリピン人が１４万６０００人などで、特にベトナム人はおととしと比べて４０％近く増えました。

産業別では「製造業」が３８万５０００人、清掃などの「サービス業」が１８万９０００人、コンビニエンスストアやスーパーマーケットなどの「卸売業、小売業」が１６万６０００人などとなっています。

在留資格別では日系人や日本人の配偶者などが４５万９０００人、留学生が２５万９０００人、技能実習生が２５万７０００人などで、留学生はおよそ２４％増加しました。

厚生労働省は「人手不足や景気の回復を背景に、留学生のアルバイトや技能実習生の活用が進んでいる」としています。

My translation

January 27  4:38.

The number of foreign workers who worked in Japan last year was found out to be about 1,270,000 people and was the highest on record as noted by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare since statistics keeping began in 2008.

According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare as at the end of October last year the foreign workers who worked for a Japanese enterprise was 1,278,670 people, and compared with the 194,000 people at the end of October a year before it was a 18%  increase and became the highest since 2008 when statistics  keeping began.

On country basis the highest was the Chinese with 372,000 people, followed by 240,000  Vietnamese and 146,000  Filipino, the Vietnamese stood out when compared with a year earlier as it was an increase of nearly 40 %.

On industry basis 385,000 people worked in “industry", 189,000 people in “service industry" of cleaning,  166,000 people in “wholesale business” and “retail trade” such as convenience stores and supermarkets.

According to the residence qualification , Japanese descent or spouses of  the Japanese was 459,000 people while students from abroad was 259,000 , skill learning student apprentice was 257,000 , students from abroad had increased by approximately 24 %.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare assumed that “against the background of labor shortage and a recovery of business conditions, students from abroad doing part-time jobs and skill learning student apprentice doing practice are increasing."

    It seems that the economic ties between Japan and Vietnam are increasing.