According to a report by Hong Kong's English-language newspaper The South China Morning Post on August 2nd, as the number of dual-income families continues to increase, the market for Japanese housekeeping services has been expanding, and more and more people are starting to hire Filipino housekeepers.
According to reports, the number of employees at one service provider has almost doubled over the past decade.
Before 2015, only families of certain groups such as foreign diplomats in Japan could hire foreign domestic helpers. That year, Japan revised relevant laws to increase the participation rate of women in the labor force and address the shortage of labor in the domestic service industry.
In 2016, the Japanese government relaxed its policy and allowed foreigners to work in domestic service within “national strategic special zones”.
According to the special district system, foreign domestic service practitioners must have at least one year of experience in domestic services before they can be accepted as an exception under the entry-exit control law. Basic Japanese proficiency is also required. However, for cases involving foreign families living in Japan, only proficiency in the Japanese language is required.
