Japan to address issue of foreign trainees quitting in record numbers

TOKYO (Kyodo) — Japan will take measures as early as October to enable foreign trainees to transfer jobs more easily, as the number of those who quit without notice due to poor working conditions and other reasons hit a record high of 9,753 in 2023, government sources said.

Under Japan’s technical intern program, workers are prohibited from switching workplaces for the first three years in principle as they are asked to develop their skills in one area, while job transfer is permitted if there are “unavoidable circumstances.”

The Immigration Services Agency will revise its guidelines, which have been criticized for being vague, to ensure they clearly state that job transfers are allowed if interns are abused or sexually harassed or there has been a malicious violation of laws and regulations at their workplaces, including a breach of contract.

The revised guidelines will also permit both victims of harassment and their coworkers to request transfers while allowing interns to take a part-time job of up to 28 hours per week over the period of their transfer to cover living expenses.

The number of people leaving trainee jobs without notice has been on the rise, climbing to 9,006 in 2022 from 5,885 in 2020. Preliminary figures for 2023 showed a further increase, with Vietnamese workers the largest contingent at 5,481, followed by Myanmar nationals at 1,765 and Chinese at 816, according to Justice Ministry sources.

Nearly half of the workers were involved in construction-related jobs, the sources said.

The revised guidelines will have a special provision for those unable to find a new employer as a trainee but wish to switch to the specified skilled worker scheme, enabling them to temporarily work under a designated activities visa until they pass the exam required to obtain the status.

The current foreign trainee program, which has been in place since 1993, has been criticized as simply being an avenue for Japan to import cheap labor.

The government will replace the program with a new system as early as 2027 that will permit job transfers after one or two years of employment at one workplace.