A study on the cost and willingness to recruit EPA foreign nurses and care workers in Japan: from the angle of hospitals and care facilities

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Japan started accepting foreign nurses and care workers under the Economic Partnership Agreement（ EPA） in FY 2008. However, the number has been declining since FY2009 despite improved conditions. Many pointed out that the decline occurred mainly due to the constraints of supply side because the conditionality set by the EPA looked so strict for foreign workers. This paper highlights a problem of demand side ? economic cost for the hospitals and care facilities（ the employers）. A questionnaire survey was conducted and used for examining a hypothesis that high costs for the employers were a major cause of the decline. The survey revealed that employing the candidates required high economic costs including additional staff labor. Majority of employers indicated unwillingness to recruit further EPA candidates. However, statistical tests proved no significant relations between the costs and the willingness for nurses, while some positive relationships were confirmed for care workers. It suggests that non-economic factors exert strong influence on the demand for nurses. The current EPA system needs substantial modifications including easing conditionality and reducing economic costs for employers.

Journal

  • Health Science Research

    Health Science Research 27 45-53, 2015-01

    長崎大学大学院医歯薬学総合研究科保健学専攻

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