For those seeking a job opportunity in Brazil, the situation is very unfavorable. However, on the other side of the world, in Japan, the government is promoting policies to attract foreign workers, with 300 thousand job openings vacant. If the first quarter can be considered desolate for Brazil, with the information from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística – IBGE) that there are 13.1 million unemployed people in Brazil, at a rate of 12.4%, the same cannot be said of Japan. In 2018, the rate of available jobs reached the incredible number of 160 openings per 100 workers – the highest level in 44 years.
Here in Brazil, the lack of opportunities has been favoring the migration of Brazilians to other countries: 22.4 million people handed in the statement of definitive exit from the country in 2018, up from the 21.2 thousand in 2017. In view of the differences between the two countries, it’s easy to understand why Japan is one of the favorite destinations for those who leave Brazil. Way beyond the better working conditions and the quality of life, the immigrants find many solid job opportunities, due to two factors: the internationalization of the Japanese territory, and the never-closing gap between the expansion of several sectors in the country and the aging of the local population.
The increase in tourism that will be encouraged by the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 has generated a demand for over 300 thousand job posts for foreigners until 2025, contradicting the conservative history of the country. Nowadays, around 1.28 million foreign workers live in the country, a much higher number than the 480 thousand registered ten years ago, in 2008. It seems like a lot, but not really: it corresponds to only 1% of the Japanese population. In comparison, the United States have 17%, and the United Kingdom, 5%. Still according to data from the Japanese government, around 30% of the immigrant workers are from China, with high numbers also for Vietnam, the Philippines, and Brazil.
