特定技能に４分野追加　自動車運送、２４年問題対応―政府検討

　政府は、人手不足の業界で外国人労働者を受け入れるため、在留資格「特定技能」の対象に自動車運送業、鉄道、林業、木材産業の４分野を追加する方向で検討に入った。追加は２０１９年の制度創設以来初めて。年度内の閣議決定を目指す。
　自動車運送業は、バス、タクシー、トラックの運転手を想定。２４年からトラック運転手の時間外労働に上限規制が課され物流の停滞が懸念される「２０２４年問題」などに対応する狙いがある。鉄道は運転士や駅員、林業は育林、木材産業は木材加工などが念頭にある。（2024/01/29-18:35）

The Japanese government is considering adding four sectors to the country's system of granting residency status to foreign workers with specified skills, in order to cope with labor shortages in the sectors, informed sources said Monday.
   The addition would be the first since the system was introduced in 2019. The government aims to decide on the addition at a cabinet meeting by the end of fiscal 2023.
   The four sectors under consideration are automobile transport, railway operations, forestry and the timber industry.
   The government apparently aims to admit bus, taxi and truck drivers from abroad to address the so-called 2024 problem of possible logistical disruptions due to the introduction of overtime limits for truck drivers.
   Under the system, foreign workers with specified skills can be given Type 1 status to work in Japan for up to five years, and highly skilled workers can be granted Type 2 status to effectively live in the country permanently.