MIGRANT WORKERS’ PRECARITY IN REGULATED SYSTEM: A STUDY OF INDONESIAN SPECIFIED-SKILLED WORKERS IN JAPAN

Praja Setiawati, Dr. Yuli Isnadi, S.I.P,. MPA

2025 | Tesis | S2 Administrasi Publik

Japan introduced the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) program in 2019 to address labor shortages, with many viewing it as a pathway that offers better protection for migrant workers compared to the previos program, Technical Intern Training Program (TITP). However, the extent to which the SSW program reduces precarity and exploitation among migrant workers has not been fully examined. Therefore, this study investigates the experiences of Indonesian SSWs in Japan by applying an adapted Fletcher & Trautrims (2023) framework, focusing on three stages of the migration process: pre-departure vulnerabilities, recruitment deception, and labor mistreatment and exploitation after arrival.

Using semi-structured interviews with 28 Indonesian SSWs across different sectors, along with insights from key stakeholders, the findings show that while most workers in this study reported safe and conducive working conditions, some workers continue to face various challenges. Many pay informal recruitment fees before departure, some receive incomplete or unclear information during recruitment, and a few encounter heavy workloads and safety risks in their workplaces. Additionally, some workers face practical challenges in exercising their right to change employers. This study highlights the gap between the policy goals of the SSW program and the realities faced by workers on the ground.

Japan introduced the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) program in 2019 to address labor shortages, with many viewing it as a pathway that offers better protection for migrant workers compared to the previos program, Technical Intern Training Program (TITP). However, the extent to which the SSW program reduces precarity and exploitation among migrant workers has not been fully examined. Therefore, this study investigates the experiences of Indonesian SSWs in Japan by applying an adapted Fletcher & Trautrims (2023) framework, focusing on three stages of the migration process: pre-departure vulnerabilities, recruitment deception, and labor mistreatment and exploitation after arrival.

Using semi-structured interviews with 28 Indonesian SSWs across different sectors, along with insights from key stakeholders, the findings show that while most workers in this study reported safe and conducive working conditions, some workers continue to face various challenges. Many pay informal recruitment fees before departure, some receive incomplete or unclear information during recruitment, and a few encounter heavy workloads and safety risks in their workplaces. Additionally, some workers face practical challenges in exercising their right to change employers. This study highlights the gap between the policy goals of the SSW program and the realities faced by workers on the ground.

Kata Kunci : Specified-skilled workers, Indonesian migrant workers, Japan, precarity