Japan Continues To Hire Nurses and Caregivers

Despite the Global Financial Crisis, employment of Filipino nurses and caregivers in Japan remain according to sources. On the other hand, a prediction from economic analysts say that Japan’s growth will be negative this year. In the United States alone, thousands of employees lost their jobs. No wonder, Filipino workers have become concerned that Japanese companies and factories might layoff some of their employees.

Filipino applicants (especially nurses and other health care workers) to Japan were apprehensive that job opportunities in Japan will be less this year. This is because nursing job opportunities in the Philippines are limited and Japan is a good place of employment for Filipino nurses despite the fact that there are more jobs for Nurses in Canada and other Asian countries like Brunei, Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea.

“Japan is still in need of well trained nurses and caregivers”. This need to employ Filipino nurses and caregivers was stated by Mr. Makato Katsura, Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines. The Japanese ambassador also said that the crisis would not result to vast dismissal of Filipino employees. He also said matching of demand and supply is now in process. In fact, Japan has begun recruitment of Filipino nurses and caregivers. This 2009, between April to June, first batch of recruits will be in Japan to take 6 months of Niponggo training course before being employed to health care facilities.

Despite the financial crisis, Japan is still to hire Filipino nurses and caregivers as provided by JPEPA. Under JPEPA or Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement, 300 caregivers and 200 nurses are to be employed in Japan yearly.

JPEPA is a treaty signed on September 2006 by Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Helsinki, Finland. In 2008, the treaty was ratified by the Philippine Senate.