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Japan prepares for many foreign workers

Foreign Workers - Level 0

Japan needs many workers. It does not have enough workers. It decided to find workers from other countries. The government will meet to agree on a plan. This would let 345,000 foreign workers to help to fill jobs. Most will work in building, fishing, healthcare and farming. Most will be low-skilled workers. They must speak Japanese.

Japan must change and use foreign workers. If Japan does not change, it will be, "in a very difficult situation". The government will make sure workers adjust to life in Japan, "and have the right environment in which to live and work." Japanese people are having fewer children. The population is falling every year.

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Foreign Workers - Level 1

Japan needs many workers. It is an aging society and does not have enough workers. The government has decided to find workers from other countries to fill jobs. Japan's Prime Minister said his government will meet to agree on a plan. A new law would let up to 345,000 foreign workers to help to fill jobs. They will work in construction, fishing, healthcare and farming. Most will be low-skilled workers. They must pass a Japanese language test.

Japan's government said it had to change and use foreign workers to help the economy. It said: "If Japan simply continued along the same path, we would find ourselves in a very difficult situation." The government will make sure workers can adjust to life in Japan, "and have the right environment in which to live and work." Japanese people are having fewer children. Japan's population is falling every year.

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Foreign Workers - Level 2

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Japan is changing because it needs workers. It is an aging society. This means it does not have enough workers. Japan's government has decided to employ workers from other countries to fill jobs. Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said his government will meet to approve a plan, which could become law on April 1. The new law would allow up to 345,000 foreign workers to help with its shortage of labor. Many of these will work in construction, fishing, healthcare and agriculture. They will be mainly low-skilled workers and need to pass a Japanese language test.

Japan's government said on Saturday that it had to change and let more foreign workers in to help the economy. It said: "If Japan simply continued along the same path, we would find ourselves in a very difficult situation." The government will make sure foreign workers can quickly adjust to life in cities and towns. It said: "We want to ensure they have the right environment in which to live and work." Japanese people are having fewer children - only 1.4 children per woman. This should be 2.1 for Japan to have enough workers. Japan's population is already dropping every year.

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Foreign Workers - Level 3

Japan is changing its immigration policy because it needs workers. Japan is an aging society. This means it does not have enough workers to work in many jobs. Japan's government has decided to allow many workers from other countries into the country to help fill the jobs. Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said his government will meet on December 28 to approve the plan. If the plan is approved, it will become law on April 1. The new law would allow up to 345,000 foreign workers to help with labor shortages. Many of these workers will work in the construction, fishing, healthcare and agriculture industries. They will be largely low-skilled workers and will need to pass a Japanese language test.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Saturday that Japan had to change and allow more foreign workers in to help the economy. He said: "If Japan simply continued along the same path, we would find ourselves in a very difficult situation." He also said the government would make sure the foreign workers can quickly adjust to life in smaller Japanese cities and towns. He said: "We want to ensure they have the right environment in which to live and work." Japanese people are having fewer children. The fertility rate is now only 1.4 children per woman. The rate should be 2.1 for Japan to have enough Japanese workers. Japan's population is already dropping by about 400,000 people a year.

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