Labor Migration from Thailand to Japan : A Study of Technical Interns’ Motivation and Satisfaction

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  • タイから日本への労働移民 : 技能実習生の来日動機と満足度の一考察

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Abstract

With Japan’s rapidly declining population and shrinking birth rate, small and medium companies in the industrial and agricultural sector are struggling to gain manpower. Such companies commonly obtain low-skilled and cheap labor by hiring foreign temporary workers through the Technical Intern Training Program （TITP 技能実習制度）. Over the past decades, foreign workers referred to as technical interns（ 技能実習生） have become an important part of Japan’s workforce in the manufacturing, construction, and agricultural sectors. Technical interns comprise about 20% of all foreigners working in Japan. Previous studies have addressed the TITP from various perspectives, examining the program’s policies and the impact it has on entrepreneurs as well as human rights and labor issues. Several empirical studies shed light on the interns’ working and living conditions. While many studies have focused on Chinese and, later, Vietnamese technical interns, who together comprise about 70% of all interns, this paper focuses on Thai interns. Based on questionnaire surveys conducted from 2019 to 2021, this study examines their motivations for coming to Japan, satisfaction with their work and home life, and income level. It also compares their experience to that of Thai migrant workers who worked in Japan before 2010. The survey reveals significant differences between the two groups including the workers’ average age, educational background, and motivations for coming to Japan.

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