外国人労働者、微増１７２万人　コロナで技能実習生減―２１年

　厚生労働省が２８日発表した２０２１年の外国人雇用状況（１０月末現在）によると、国内の外国人労働者数は前年比０．２％増の１７２万７２２１人だった。９年連続で過去最高を更新したが、増加率は新型コロナウイルス感染拡大の影響で４．０％にとどまった２０年から、さらに縮小した。水際対策が強化され、技能実習生や留学生の受け入れが減少した。
　在留資格別では、技能実習が１２．６％の大幅減。コロナ禍前の数年間は人手不足で２割程度増えていたが、初めて前年を下回った。留学もマイナス１２．７％と、２年連続で減少した。（2022/01/28-14:04）

The number of foreign workers hit a record high for the ninth consecutive year in Japan in 2021 though the pace of growth slowed amid the coronavirus pandemic, the labor ministry said Friday.
   The number as of the end of last October inched up 0.2 pct from a year before to 1,727,221 after the 4.0 pct increase posted for 2020. Technical intern trainees and students from abroad decreased due to strict border control measures.
   By visa status, the number of foreign workers with technical intern trainee visas plunged 12.6 pct. In recent years before the COVID-19 outbreak, the annual growth was around 20 pct due to labor shortages.
   The number of foreign workers with student visas dropped 12.7 pct, down for the second straight year.
   By industry, the number of foreign workers in the manufacturing sector, who account for a quarter of the total, dropped 3.4 pct apparently because of falls in production reflecting semiconductor shortages.