Hiring Foreign Talent Under Japan's Specified Skilled Worker Program Part 1: A Guide For Employers

Japan faces a significant demographic challenge with a rapidly aging population. According to the United Nations Population Division, this year, Japan leads those countries with a population of one million or more with the highest proportion of its population aged 65 and above, at 30.2%.

This comes on the heels of Japan crossing – for the first time – 10% of its population being aged 80 and above in late 2023. Compounded by a declining birth rate since 2008, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has expressed concerns about the country's ability to maintain social functions.

One of Japan's evolving responses to the population crisis was its then-unprecedented move to amend the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (Immigration Act) in 2019 to officially accept low-skilled foreign talent as "Specified Skilled Workers" (SSW) equipped with the relevant skillset to start contributing immediately, to meet the demand for manpower in industries facing critical