The number of foreign workers in Japan hit a record 1,658,804 as of October last year, up 13.6 percent from a year earlier, as companies increasingly hired them amid a labor shortage caused by the nation's rapidly aging population, government data showed Friday.The labor ministry attributed the 12th straight yearly rise to a government policy aimed at bringing in more highly skilled foreign workers and hiring students for part-time jobs. It also said there was greater labor force participation by permanent residents and the spouses of Japanese due to improved employment conditions.The headl…READ FULL ARTICLE
