Japan is facing a systemic crisis – the country is rapidly losing its workforce. An aging population, low birth rates, and an unwillingness to open the market to migrants have jeopardized the stability of all sectors – from transport to defense. This is stated in a Financial Times article, writes UNN.
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Japan is experiencing the most acute labor crisis in its modern history. The shortage of workers has affected almost all professions: from carpenters and bus drivers to soldiers, pharmacists, and cooks. Every industry is experiencing a personnel deficit, which is already going beyond economic problems – it has become a challenge for the nation.
The situation is complicated by inflation and a decline in service quality, which is especially noticeable in a country that for decades was famous for its perfect politeness and precision of service. Now everything is becoming "a little slower, a little worse, and a little less welcoming" – as local media note.
The new leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, Sanae Takaichi, who is likely to become Japan's first female prime minister, inherited the country at a time when demographic decline has become irreversible. After 70 years of almost uninterrupted rule, the ruling party lacks new ideas, and decades of miscalculations have only deepened the crisis.
Building a society that lives comfortably with rising prices and a shrinking workforce is an extremely difficult task
Her biggest challenge is immigration. Despite her own conservatism and cautious attitude towards open borders, Takaichi recognizes that Japan cannot cope without attracting foreign workers. She has already initiated a public discussion about the need for a controlled influx of migrants – a topic her predecessors preferred to avoid.
According to the FT, the problem is not only the number of workers but also the country's ability to adapt. Even intensive robotization and AI development cannot keep up with the pace of aging. If trends do not change, in a few decades Japan may lose its status as a technological and industrial leader, turning into a "slowly disappearing society."