Tokyo, Sept. 29 (Jiji Press)–The number of foreigners with specified skilled worker status of residence in Japan hit a record high of 444,256 as of the end of June, up 13.8 pct from the end of 2025, the Immigration Services Agency of Japan said Tuesday. Of them, those who have the Type 2 status, which is for workers with higher skills, increased 2.3-fold to 18,295. The specified skilled worker status system was introduced in 2019 to fill labor shortages in the country. Holders of the Type 1 status can work for up to five years in Japan, while Type 2 allows foreigners to work in the country permanently, in effect, and bring in their families. According to the government agency, the number of foreign residents switching from Type 1 to Type 2 has been on the rise. Foreign workers with the Type 1 residence status stood at 425,961, up 11.4 pct. People from Vietnam topped the list, followed by those from Indonesia and Myanmar. Many of the Type 1 status holders were living in metropolitan areas. Among the country’s 47 prefectures, Aichi in central Japan accommodated the largest number of such foreigners, followed by Tokyo, Osaka in western Japan, Saitama, north of Tokyo, and Chiba, east of the Japanese capital. By sector, the largest number of Type 1 holders worked for food and beverage manufacturers, followed by nursing care facilities and makers of industrial products. The restaurant industry temporarily stopped accepting Type 1 foreign workers in April as the number of those in the sector approached the upper limit of 50,000. Of the Type 2 foreign workers, Vietnamese accounted for more than 75 pct. By prefecture, Saitama topped the list of places of residence, followed by Tokyo and Aichi. By industry, the construction sector had the largest number of foreign workers with the Type 2 status. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
