Foreign interns flee Japan due to low pay

Thousands of foreign intern have quit Japanese jobs in the last two years alone, and only a few want to continue working in the country.
By: | November 22, 2018
Topics: Asia-Pacific | Compensation and Benefits | Japan | News | Recruitment

 

According to Japan’s Ministry of Justice, over 11,300 foreign interns have left their jobs since 2017, due to low wages.

Some 7,000 foreign interns reportedly quit in 2017, whilst during the first six months of this year, another while 4,200 followed suit.

More than half (67%) of the 2,870 respondents, many of whom are from China, Vietnam or Indonesia, cited low pay as the reason.

Other reasons cited include strict supervisors (13%), long working hours (7%), or even workplace violence (5%).

The majority earned less than JPY100,000 (SGD$ 1,221) a month, while fewer than 10% received more than JPY150,000 (SGD$ 1,832) per month.

The ministry’s recent survey also showed that only 18% of foreign interns wanted to continue working in Japan.

Japan faces a chronic shortage of workers due to its shrinking population, prompting the country to bring in more foreigners to help fill gaps in the workforce.