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Some 40% of skilled foreign workers choose to remain in Japan: OECD

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with the relatively high rate benefitting the Asian nation struggling with a labor shortage.

Psst...We don't talk about the wage deficit keeping the narrative of the 'labor shortage" in play. It exposes the whole late stage capitalists ethic of exploiting cheap labor in a race to the bottom for labor.

On Japan's Technical Intern Training Program, introduced in 1993 with the aim of transferring skills to developing nations, the OECD said the system has "been largely used to meet labor demand, rather than for skills transfer."

A little bit of reality buried in the article about the human rights abuses and true purpose of the program.

-12 ( +8 / -20 )

When you are making a $1.00 a day the all of a sudden you are making $50.00 a day of course you will stay.

5 ( +10 / -5 )

Another international body reporting on and critiquing Japan. Why is this even allowed, right? Japan should withdraw from the OECD. It should not be judged by anyone outside.

-20 ( +2 / -22 )

Any other ways you figure Japan should cut off its nose to spite its face?

-7 ( +3 / -10 )

After learning Japanese there is nowhere else to use it.

4 ( +14 / -10 )

I wonder what group of immigrants is raising this average, for highly skilled visa holders from the west that I know about 80% has gone home within 2 years, and then there is the immigrants from Vietnam etc that according to their visa needs to leave Japan within 5 years. Hard for me to see what type of immigrant makes that number so low.

9 ( +13 / -4 )

The salaries arent competitive when you compare them to other countries, but when you see what your money can get you here it is easy to understand why people stay. It would be nice if Japan could be so welcoming to those who are "less skilled", but nevertheless perform sone of the most crucial work to keep the economy afloat.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

 with the relatively high rate benefitting the Asian nation struggling with a labor shortage.

Did I miss something?? 40% choosing to stay means the majority choose not to stay.

The report also said Japan has a high retention rate of international students, with 30 to 40 percent remaining in Japan five years after arrival.

30-40% is not a high retention rate.

-6 ( +9 / -15 )

Not a good sign but perhaps not that surprising; in most English language-speaking countries, retention rates are around 80–90% for skilled migrants.

4 ( +14 / -10 )

Japan is soooo bad (according to a lot of posters) and yet these people are wanting to stay. Students wanting to stay rather than go home makes 40% a HUGE number. There must be something good about Japan. Why the haters leave such negative posts perplexes me. Why come to a site about to Japan to spit on it?

6 ( +15 / -9 )

MoonrakerToday  07:18 am JST

Another international body reporting on and critiquing Japan. Why is this even allowed, right? Japan should withdraw from the OECD. It should not be judged by anyone outside.

I can't tell if you are joking or not. You only want reports from international bodies if they are positive?!

Are you equally resistant to Japanese getting Nobel prizes or being voted a top tourist destination?

Japan's participation in the OECD, includes constructive criticism and collaborative policy improvement. Withdrawing from the OECD would isolate Japan from valuable international perspectives and hinder its ability to benefit from shared economic insights and best practices.

8 ( +11 / -3 )

Gene HennighToday  08:31 am JST

Japan is soooo bad (according to a lot of posters) and yet these people are wanting to stay. Students wanting to stay rather than go home makes 40% a HUGE number. There must be something good about Japan. Why the haters leave such negative posts perplexes me. Why come to a site about to Japan to spit on it?

You seem to have misinterpreted the data Gene, as a 40% retention rate indicates that a majority of skilled immigrants are leaving Japan, highlighting significant issues that need addressing. How can the commenters be positive with results like that?!

Dismissing valid criticism as mere negativity ("haters") deflects from a constructive discussion on how Japan can improve its retention rates for skilled workers. What do you suggest Gene?

6 ( +12 / -6 )

Slave labour by any other name! This was never about helping developed countries and always about sourcing cheap labour!

-2 ( +11 / -13 )

Among foreigners who first entered Japan between 2011 and 2017 as skilled labor migrants with visas to work as engineers or office workers, 40 percent remained in the country five years later.

My guess is that this is not a large number of people, i.e., people qualified to come as engineers or office workers, but the retention rate is pretty good.

The trainee program is a cover for unskilled work, but provides needed labour for 3k jobs Japanese don't want to do. Lots of them will be sorting the debris from the Noto Earthquake by hand into different gomi categories. It won't be Japanese people doing it.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

And I'm guessing that hopping around with puppets while singing the 'Genki Good Morning!' song and teaching 7-year olds 'Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes' isn't considered "highly skilled".

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

60 % left so most choose not to stay! Duh!

-7 ( +4 / -11 )

Most of the so called “ Highly skilled workers “ are from poor countries where they are miserable and wages are super low! That’s the reason they don’t go back from Japan. But with the new immigration bill they’ll be revoked of their Permanent Residency status if they get sick and can’t work, lose their jobs and miss tax payments / social security payments due to these! So much for a sense of belonging and security for life. But apparently even this will not deter them from life in Japan because things are so terrible back in their countries that life as a slave in Japan is much better!

-7 ( +7 / -14 )

BTW, what real effective number is discussed here? A handful, a few hundreds? And then second, what is the measurement of 'highly skilled'? When they can hold a fude pen, can translate everything with a smartphone tool app and have already visited a tea ceremony? My guess is that already the words counted on this page here exceeds the number of people who are those 40% of staying and really highly skilled workers or trainees.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

And I'm guessing that hopping around with puppets while singing the 'Genki Good Morning!' song and teaching 7-year olds 'Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes' isn't considered "highly skilled".

Man you just gave me ptsd flashback!

2 ( +4 / -2 )

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