Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

What shapes local demand for ‘guest worker’ migrants in Japan? The case of the seafood processing industry

What shapes local demand for ‘guest worker’ migrants in Japan? The case of the seafood processing... The Technical Intern Training Program has served as a de facto guest worker program for receiving low-skilled migrants during the last quarter century in Japan. While the program enables certain industries to employ migrants, significant local variation exists in the degree to which these industries depend on them. Focusing on the seafood processing industry, this study investigates local economic, demographic, and industrial factors that shape labor demand for technical intern trainee migrants. Using municipal-level data created from official sources including the 2013 Census of Fisheries, the study found that characteristics of the local seafood processing industry, namely relative employment size and productivity, are important predictors affecting the employment of technical intern trainees. In addition, contrary to the predominant assumption in the labor migration literature, the results positively associate productivity with the employment of technical intern trainees. This outcome is perhaps related to the focus of this study, namely a comparison not between industries, but between localities in a single industry. Another important reason may be that companies stable in production, which are more productive than unstable businesses with limited operations, are more likely to employ migrants in the regulatory context of the Technical Intern Training Program. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Contemporary Japan Taylor & Francis

What shapes local demand for ‘guest worker’ migrants in Japan? The case of the seafood processing industry

Mazumi, Yusuke
Contemporary Japan , Volume 31 (1): 19 – Jan 2, 2019
Download PDF

What shapes local demand for ‘guest worker’ migrants in Japan? The case of the seafood processing industry

Abstract

The Technical Intern Training Program has served as a de facto guest worker program for receiving low-skilled migrants during the last quarter century in Japan. While the program enables certain industries to employ migrants, significant local variation exists in the degree to which these industries depend on them. Focusing on the seafood processing industry, this study investigates local economic, demographic, and industrial factors that shape labor demand for technical intern trainee...
Loading next page...
 
/lp/taylor-francis/what-shapes-local-demand-for-guest-worker-migrants-in-japan-the-case-FXIat0qy20
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Copyright
© 2018 German Institute for Japanese Studies
ISSN
1869-2737
eISSN
1869-2729
DOI
10.1080/18692729.2018.1563346
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The Technical Intern Training Program has served as a de facto guest worker program for receiving low-skilled migrants during the last quarter century in Japan. While the program enables certain industries to employ migrants, significant local variation exists in the degree to which these industries depend on them. Focusing on the seafood processing industry, this study investigates local economic, demographic, and industrial factors that shape labor demand for technical intern trainee migrants. Using municipal-level data created from official sources including the 2013 Census of Fisheries, the study found that characteristics of the local seafood processing industry, namely relative employment size and productivity, are important predictors affecting the employment of technical intern trainees. In addition, contrary to the predominant assumption in the labor migration literature, the results positively associate productivity with the employment of technical intern trainees. This outcome is perhaps related to the focus of this study, namely a comparison not between industries, but between localities in a single industry. Another important reason may be that companies stable in production, which are more productive than unstable businesses with limited operations, are more likely to employ migrants in the regulatory context of the Technical Intern Training Program.

Journal

Contemporary Japan – Taylor & Francis

Published: Jan 2, 2019

Keywords: Labor migration; guest worker program; seafood processing industry

References

  • Guestworkers in Europe: A resurrection?
  • “Kenshūsei Seido” to Gaikokujin Rōdōryoku Mondai: Chūgoku Santōshō Ikaishi no Suisan Kakō Kenshūsei o Taishō toshite
  • Gaikokujin Kenshūsei, Ginō Jisshūsei Ukeire Kigyō no Chingin to Seisansei ni kansuru Ichikōsatsu
  • Chiiki Sangyō ni okeru Gaikokujin “Rōdōryoku” no Kōzōka: Hokkaido no “Kenshūsei Tokku” o Chūshin ni
  • Gifu Apareru Sangyō ni okeru Rōdōryoku Kakuho Shisaku no Hensen: Shūdan Shūshoku, Kanai Rōdō kara Ginō Jisshū Seido e
  • Gyogyō Suisan Kakōgyō ni okeru Gaikokujin Rōdōsha Mondai ni tsuite no Ichikōsatsu
  • Ibarakiken Oaraimachi ni okeru Nikkei Indoneshiajin no Teijūka Yōin: Suisan Kakōgyō ni okeru Gaikokujinn Rōdōsha no Ukeire Hensen no Bunseki o Chūshin ni
  • 2013-nen Gyogyō Sensasu - Dai-8-kan Ryūtsū Kakōgyō ni kansuru Tōkei
  • Nōgyō Bunya no Gaikokujin Kenshūsei, Jisshūsei no Jittai
  • Gaikokujin Ginō Jisshū Seido no Riyō no Chiikisa to sono Yōin no Bunseki: Suisan Kakōgyō no Jirei
  • Ibarakiken Oaraimachi ni okeru Nikkei Indoneshiajin no Shūjūka to Shūrō Kōzō
  • Gaikokujin Ginō Jisshūsei no Jisshū Jisshi Kikan ni taisuru Kantoku Shidō, Sōken tō no Jōkyō (Heisei 28-nen)
  • “Gaikokujin Koyō Jōkyō” no Todokede Jōkyō Gaiyōban (Heisei 29-nen 10-gatsumatsu genzai)
  • Heisei 22-nen Kokusei Chōsa - Jinkō tō Kihon Shūkei
  • Heisei 22-nen Kokusei Chōsa - Sangyō tō Kihon Shūkei
  • 2014 economic census for business frame - tabulation of establishments
  • Suisan Kakōgyō ni okeru Gaikokujin Rōdō no Jittai to Kadai: Chibaken Choshishi no Chūgokujin Kenshū, Ginō Jisshūsei o Chūshin ni
  • Heisei 29-nen matsu ni okeru Zairyū Gaikokujin Sū ni tsuite (Kakuteichi)
  • Numbers vs. rights: Trade-offs and guest worker programs