Japan’s White-collar Workers Don’t Want to Leave Japan
The Wall Street Journal reports on a new survey that shows a majority of Japanese white-collar workers would prefer to stay in Japan and never work abroad:
The results are downright depressing, given that Japan has recently suffered the ignominy of ceding its position to China as the world’s second-largest economy. The younger and more junior the employee, the greater the resistance to the expat life: 70.7% of “regular employees,” or those who aren’t managers, said they didn’t want to go abroad, according to a survey of 400 people conducted by the Sanno Institute of Management, a graduate school in Japan.
Common reasons were “I can’t speak English,” or “The overseas environment may not be safe.” Managing directors — usually older employees in their 40s and 50s — had the least resistance to working overseas, with only 42.9% saying they wouldn’t go.
A little bit more info from Kyodo:
With multiple answers allowed, 89.3 percent said they lack language capabilities, 52.5 percent capabilities in communicating with foreign cultures, 47.0 percent business skills, and 43.0 percent business knowledge about foreign countries.
Of those who replied negative, 51.5 percent cited high risks overseas, 50.7 percent poor capabilities, 37.3 percent heavy burdens on their families, and 34.7 percent a lack of interest.
Of those who replied affirmative, 77.3 percent said they want to broaden their mind, 75.8 percent want to gain experience that cannot be acquired in Japan, 41.7 percent want to enhance their language capabilities, and 28.8 percent want to work together with foreigners.
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