Aeon, the Japanese retail giant, which presently as 1,500 specified skilled workers in its workforce, is all set to hire 4,000 foreign workers by 2030. Over the next five years, Aeon will expand its workforce, and is looking for foreign talent with specified skilled worker visas. These workers will cover the shortage of labour in the food-service and retail space, where there is a dearth of workers. Japan is already hiring Indonesian workers under this programme.
Peacock Store, Maruetsu and My Basket, are amongst the supermarket chains run by Aeon. As per media reports, Aeon has about 1,500 specified skilled workers working across the Group, in various food-processing units.
The Japanese government has decided to broaden the designated fields under the specified skilled worker programme in a bid to hire more foreign workers. Such visa holders are permitted to work not just in the traditional food factories, but also in the facilities where dishes are prepared for sale at the supermarkets.
Aeon Delight, the facility-management arm of the Aeon Group will handle the onboarding of the hired foreign workers and send them to other group companies as well as external businesses after fulfilling its own labour requirements. One of Aeon’s subsidiaries will be responsible for arrange the travel and accommodation for these workers on arrival in Japan.
The Indonesian workers already employed here had arrived after receiving training via Aeon’s local subsidiary in Indonesia, in collaboration with the Indonesian government and local language schools.
The specified skilled worker programme is now about five years old and permits foreign workers to work in fields designated by the government for not more than five years. Basic proficiency in Japanese language and relevant skills related to the designated sector are required to become eligible for the visa.
The Japanese government is trying to hire 8,20,000 foreign workers under the specified skilled worker programme by April 2029. This is a big number compared to the 2.8 lakh foreign workers working under this programme (as on December 2023)
