On December 11, Azoop announced the results of a survey conducted among 111 transportation operators regarding foreign drivers with specified skills.
<Interest in the system and whether or not to consider hiring>
This survey was conducted to investigate the current state of the transportation industry, one year after the system's inception, following the addition of "automobile transportation" to the Specified Skills system in December 2024, which made it possible for foreign workers with Specified Skills to work as drivers in truck transportation.
According to this survey, only 43.8% of respondents said they were "interested" in hiring foreign drivers with specified skills, indicating that the majority still have no interest in the system.
Furthermore, 64.8% of respondents indicated they "do not want to consider" hiring, suggesting an industry stance of concern regarding risks.
<Concerns of those who haven't considered it, and the most difficult aspects for those who have already implemented the hiring process>
When asked why they were hesitant to hire, the most common reason given by businesses was "concerns about Japanese language ability and driving skills," at 66.2%, reflecting the nature of companies and the industry as prioritizing safety above all else.
Furthermore, "communication and cultural differences with Japanese drivers" followed closely behind, and among companies that have already hired Japanese drivers, "communication and cultural differences with Japanese drivers" was the most common issue, highlighting that friction in the workplace after hiring is a challenge.
<Reasons for consideration by those being considered for employment>
On the other hand, when businesses considering hiring Japanese drivers were asked for their reasons, an overwhelming majority (75.7%) cited "difficulty in hiring Japanese drivers," suggesting that it is viewed more as a passive response to an urgent labor shortage than as a proactive business strategy.
<Status and challenges of companies' use of registered support organizations for hiring>
Although the sample size is small, even companies that have experience employing foreign drivers with specific skills are facing difficulties in the recruitment process, and the most common request for support from the government and support organizations was "individual consultations regarding residence status applications and immigration procedures."
The fact that over 8% of companies with hiring experience utilize registered support organizations suggests that the complexity of administrative procedures is a challenge during the hiring process.
