A survey released on July 7 shows that the share of foreign residents wanting to work in Japan for five years or more fell to 63.3 percent, down 18.4 percentage points from the previous year.
Mynavi Global conducted the annual Study of Employment Attitudes of Foreign Nationals in Japan in late January and early February. The firm collected 1,732 responses, mainly from students and workers under the Specified Skilled Worker program who come from Vietnam, Myanmar, Nepal, Indonesia and China.
The drop coincides with the weak yen, which has raised the cost of imported goods while Japanese salaries have not kept pace. Savings sent abroad also lose value when converted from yen.
The survey notes that responses came largely from early-career workers. Foreign professionals in higher-paying roles were not well represented, so the results may not reflect their views.
Mynavi Global said the findings point to growing caution among those starting careers on Japanese pay scales, though the data do not indicate an immediate exodus.