Can we seize opportunity in Japan while it exists?

A window of opportunity is emerging in Japan for 820,000 skilled workers from overseas over the coming five years, sharply expanding previous projections to address growing labour shortages.

- By Athulla Edirisinghe

The figure is more than twice that for the five-year period up to 2024 set in 2019. Every five years, the government of Japan determines the number of workers it anticipates for each industry sector.

New plan in Japan

The new plan of the Government of Japan aims to train unskilled foreign workers in specific skills and attain a certain proficiency of the Japanese language in three years so that they can then move on to specified skilled worker visas with longer periods of validity and better working conditions. This new initiative replaces the current foreign trainee program, which has often been criticised for bad working conditions and participants being used as cheap labour.

Are we not losing $ 700 to 750 per month for every worker who goes to the Middle East?

As per the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment in 2024 the largest number of Sri Lankans immigrated to Kuwait, with 77,546 individuals taking up work there. The United Arab Emirates ranked second, received 51,550 workers from Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka was able to send only 16,523 to Japan even though Japan paid much higher wages compared to Kuwait and United Arab Emirates. Earnings per month per employee in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia are approximately $ 390 and $ 300 respectively. Japan on the other hand offers a minimum monthly salary of approximately $ 1,175, which is almost 3.5x more.

Why is Sri Lanka behind many others?

The given chart illustrates the foreigners living in Japan and Sri Lanka ranks no. 12.