WEAK YEN: Why foreign caregivers don’t come to Japan
In July, for the first time in four years, a job fair was held in the Philippines for Filipinos who wanted to become nurses in Japan. But the number of applicants was unexpectedly the smallest ever, at 17 applicants.
Japan has accepted 667 Filipino nurses since 2009, but what is happening now?
One of the reasons seen as a cause is the language barrier. Communication is essential in the medical field, and the need for advanced language skills seems to be a hurdle.
Another is the impact of the weak yen. As competition for medical personnel intensifies around the world in the wake of the Corona disaster, few people may be willing to work in Japan, where their income is expected to decline.
Furthermore, the shortage of human resources is also in the caregiver industry. Although the Japanese government has made it possible for foreigners to work in nursing care facilities under the technical internship and specified skill systems, home-visit services are currently exempt because of the difficulty of securing an appropriate guidance system.
However, this cannot be said to be the case in an aging society, and on April 24, the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare will begin discussions on lifting the ban on home-visit services in an effort to alleviate the labor shortage. However, even if the number of available jobs is expanded, it will be meaningless if no one comes to Japan in the first place.
SOURCE:
YAHOO JAPAN NEWS JULY 31, 2023
LINK:
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/402f34809202ddce965f55b124a0b10841eee0fa
