Government data showed that the number of workers taking part in technical intern programs was down for the first time since 2018, from 477,000 last year to 462,000 this year.Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is seeking a record fourth term in September's general election.

Japan's Foreign Worker Population Sees Record-Breaking IncreaseTOKYO, Japan — Japan witnessed its most significant year-on-year jump in foreign workers since records began, government data revealed Friday, as the nation looks to address labor shortages exacerbated by its aging population.In October of last year, the nation's foreign workforce stood at 2.3 million - an increase of around 254,000 people from a year earlier, according to labour ministry data.That marks the biggest jump since records began in 2008, and is the latest in a series of annual record-breaking increases.The total has jumped around threefold from a decade ago, in 2014, when the number of foreign workers stood at 788,000.Japan has the world's second-oldest population after Monaco, according to the World Bank. Its relatively strict immigration rules mean it faces growing labor shortages.Friday's data showed Vietnamese, Chinese and Filipinos were the top three nationalities in Japan's foreign labor force.Among the most common jobs held by foreign workers were positions in manufacturing, hospitality, and retail sectors.A "technical intern" program continued to account for a sizable portion of the foreign workforce, at 20.4 percent.The state-sponsored scheme is ostensibly an attempt by Japan to give participants from countries such as China and Vietnam specialized experience to use in their home countries.But critics have long called it a "backdoor" source of foreign labor in a conservative nation loath to officially acknowledge it is open to immigrants.The intern program has also been long dogged by allegations of discrimination and physical abuse.

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