Japan to Accept Over 1.23 Million Foreign Workers Under Two Skilled Labor Programs by 2029

A government advisory panel has compiled draft sector-by-sector operational guidelines for Japan’s Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) program and the new Training and Employment Program, which will be introduced next year to develop foreign workers with specialized skills.

According to the draft, Japan plans to accept a combined total of approximately 1.23 million foreign workers by the end of March 2029 under the two systems.

The advisory panel met on the 7th and reviewed:

The Specified Skilled Worker program, which accepts foreign nationals recognized as having specialized skills; and

The Training and Employment Program, scheduled to begin on April 1 next year, which aims to train foreign workers over a standard period of three years to reach the skill level required for the Specified Skilled Worker status.

Under the proposal, the total number of foreign workers to be accepted by March 2029 will reach 1,231,900.

The breakdown is as follows:

Specified Skilled Worker program: 805,700 workers across 19 sectors, including industrial manufacturing and food and beverage manufacturing.

Training and Employment Program: 426,200 workers across 17 sectors, excluding the automobile transport and aviation sectors, which are covered only by the Specified Skilled Worker program.

The government explained that these figures represent upper limits, calculated based on factors such as the availability of domestic labor and projected improvements in productivity. The number of foreign workers accepted will not exceed these caps.

The government plans to use this draft as the basis for discussions with ruling parties and aims to formally approve the policy at a Cabinet meeting within January.