TOKYO, Apr 20 (News On Japan) –
Japan’s international workforce has grown to about 2 million folks, a rise of roughly 220,000 from the earlier yr. However, the weak yen means dwelling situations have grow to be much less favorable, sparking worry amongst Japanese enterprise leaders that Japan might grow to be an unattractive vacation spot for international staff.
For vacationers who discover Japan now extra inexpensive, the weaker yen is a boon. From January to March this yr, each the variety of guests to Japan and their spending reached all-time highs.
For international staff, notably technical interns, the decreased worth of the yen makes their earnings much less enough for protecting dwelling bills and sending cash residence.
With the continued depreciation of the yen, there’s a rising apprehension amongst Japanese enterprise leaders like Kenji Mukogo, the 76-year-old president of Matsuyama Steel Material, that Japan might grow to be an unattractive vacation spot for international staff. “If foreigners stop coming to Japan or choose other countries, it could be a matter of life and death for us,” Mukogo mentioned.
Currency trade charges are a typical matter amongst interns. An an intern from Indonesia shared, “One yen is now 104 rupiah, down from 140 rupiah in the past. I find myself praying, ‘Please God, make the yen a little stronger.'”
At the intern dormitory, meals budgets are tight. “I usually use 3-4 eggs, but now I can only afford one. I can’t even buy meat because it’s too expensive,” mentioned an intern from Indonesia.
During meals, the dialog usually turns to international locations like South Korea and Australia, now thought of extra fascinating locations.
Despite the rising variety of interns from Indonesia in comparison with 2019, the restoration from Vietnam has not reached its peak. Nguyen Van Tin, concerned in sending interns from Vietnam, talked about, “I used to receive about 100 interns annually, but this year it was around 80.”
Nguyen added, “The yen’s depreciation and the growing desire to work in Europe are influencing decisions, though moving there is challenging. Salaries in Europe can be double what they are in Japan.”
Source: ANN