Japan seeks more workers from Uzbekistan

Japan is planning to attract more workers from Uzbekistan, India, Sri Lanka, and other countries in South and Central Asia, reported Kursiv.media.

This comes as the number of labor migrants from Southeast Asia — particularly Vietnam and China — continues to decline.

To address the issue, the Japanese company Onodera User Run has signed an agreement with Uzbekistan’s Agency for Labor Migration. The company will train Uzbek youth in the Japanese language and assist them with job placement after passing language exams. About 200 people will be prepared annually to work in restaurants and elderly care services.

Additionally, three Japanese language training centers have been opened in Uzbekistan for future workers. These were established by a Japanese company that supports international students and workers. Currently, only 346 Uzbek citizens are working in Japan.

With fewer workers arriving from China and Vietnam, Japan is facing increasing difficulty in meeting its labor needs. At the same time, countries like South Korea and Taiwan are also competing for foreign workers, as wages there are also on the rise.