Foreign students face concerns beyond language skills when seeking jobs in Japan, such as which companies hire foreigners and how the process differs from their home countries.
Foreign students face concerns beyond language skills when seeking jobs in Japan, such as which companies hire foreigners and how the process differs from their home countries.
Foreign university students graduating in March 2024 are having difficulty finding jobs in Japan despite the desire to stay due to various barriers.
In Tokyo’s Minato Ward, around 600 foreign students in formal business attire queued up for a job fair set up by 30 companies catering exclusively to them in late February.
The number of foreign residents in Japan whose residency status changed to one that allows them to work more than tripled between 2011 and 2021, according to data from the Immigration Services Agency of Japan. In 2021, 28,974 foreigners obtained a resident status which allowed them to work due to employment or other reasons – up from 8,586 in 2011.
Japan seeks to raise the post graduation employment rate of foreign students, excluding those continuing their studies, to 50%.
In fiscal year 2021, a study conducted by the Japan Student Services Organization found that just under 40% of foreign students had secured jobs in Japan following graduation.
Ai Osawa, president of Vein Global Inc., which has aided foreign students in securing jobs in Japan for 17 years, said employers desire exceptional Japanese language ability from those seeking work.
Foreign students in Japan, despite their potential in other areas, often face an uphill battle when seeking employment due to language barriers, according to Osawa. Companies typically require job applicants and those taking aptitude tests to submit applications and answer questions in Japanese, leaving foreign students at a disadvantage. As a result, many employers are reluctant to hire them.
Foreign students face concerns beyond language skills when seeking jobs in Japan, such as which companies hire foreigners and how the process differs from their home countries.
At some universities, Osawa observed, foreign students lack access to necessary information due to a breakdown in communication between divisions responsible for their support and job-seeking assistance.
A trading company, once reliant on foreign students for their non-Japanese language skills, is now struggling to attract Japanese job seekers. “We invite applications regardless of nationality,” said a recruitment official.
The education ministry offers support for foreign students seeking to work in Japan, such as language education, career training and internships.
The government’s Council for the Creation of Future Education is considering topics such as revising residency statuses for foreigners and reviewing corporate systems to accommodate foreign employees.
