Tokyo: The Japanese government Thursday proposed to add four sectors including automobile transport to the country’s program of granting residency status to foreign workers with specified skills.

The plan, aimed at tackling labor shortages in the sectors covered by the program, was presented to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s Special Committee on Foreign Workers. While some in the party voiced support for the move from the perspective of securing labor for public transport, others expressed reluctance due to safety concerns.

In addition to automobile transport, which includes drivers for taxis, buses and trucks, the sectors to be added are railway operations, forestry, and the timber industry.

The government hopes to adopt the plan after obtaining approval from the ruling bloc by the end of March.

The proposal increases the number of sectors for which the Type 1 residency status would be granted to foreign workers to 16. The status enables them to work in Japan for up to five years.

The government plans to require a higher level of Japanese proficiency for foreign workers driving taxis and buses than for other occupations in the scheme, as such roles involve frequent communication with users.

In the Thursday meeting between the government and the LDP, one participant said that a “higher level of communication skills is necessary” so that workers can deal with emergencies.

The proficiency requirement is expected to be the focus of future discussions.

The Type 1 residency status for specified skilled workers was introduced in 2019 and currently covers 12 sectors including accommodation and restaurants. Industries suffering from severe labor shortages have called for the program to be expanded to other sectors.

JIJI Press