Foreign Residents To Get More Help Finding Jobs
Japan's government plans to provide more support to foreigners who have lost jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The labor ministry says a record 1.72 million foreigners were working in the country at the end of last October.
Few unemployed foreign residents are believed to have contacted public job placement centers.
Aid groups and others have been calling for greater efforts to help them.
In response to the call, the labor ministry on Thursday issued a report on helping foreign workers, based on its discussions with an expert panel that was set up in March.
The report proposes increasing the number of interpreters at more than 140 job placement centers in areas where many foreign workers live.
It suggests that the ministry should share information on unemployed foreigners with aid groups to do more to help them find jobs and support their lives.
The report also says the ministry needs to work with the Immigration Services Agency to assess the situation.
The ministry says it will reflect the suggestions in formulating measures to address the matter.