Number of foreign students staying on to work in Japan hits record high

The number of foreign students who found jobs in the country surged to a record 8,272 last year, up 40 percent from the previous year, according to the Justice Ministry's Immigration Bureau.

The surge is attributable to an improving job market and growing demand for translators and interpreters jobs due to Japanese companies' expansion of overseas operations.

The number of applications filed by foreign residents to change their visa status from "College Student" or "Precollege Student" to "Specialist in Humanities/International Services," the visa status required for people wishing to work in certain sectors, totaled 9,034 in 2006, of which 8,272 were granted.

The number of applications for such a change in status was 5,878 in 2005 and 5,264 in 2004.
Asian students accounted for more than 90 percent of foreign residents who found jobs here after graduating from Japanese educational institutions, according to the immigration bureau's statistics.

Chinese students topped the list with 6,000 people, a 43.3 percent rise from 2005, followed by 944 South Koreans and 200 Taiwan students, also up 26.4 percent and 19 percent year on year, respectively.

Bangladesh claimed fourth place with 119 people, a 108.8 percent jump from 2005, while Malaysia took fifth place with 118 people, up 71 percent year on year.

About 70 percent of foreign graduates who were employed in Japan last year went to nonmanufacturing industries. Of those, 1,792 people entered commercial and trade businesses.

The number of students who stepped into computer-related fields was 1,140, while that of those who obtained education-related jobs was 479. By job description, the largest number of foreign graduates--2,711, which is about 30 percent of the total number--were hired as translators or interpreters. Accounting for more than 60 percent of the total, 893 foreign graduates obtained information-processing jobs, 882 went for sales-related jobs and 732 entered overseas operations.

A ministry official said, "Growing demand for translators and interpreters among domestic companies has perhaps helped boost the employment of foreign students."
(Aug. 15, 2007)
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070815TDY01002.htm