OSAKA -- The city of Osaka will permit foreign residents with permanent residency to take municipal employment examinations for many city jobs slated for this summer, Osaka Mayor Takafumi Isomura said Mar. 26.
Isomura said more than 5,000 municipal government jobs would be opened to non-Japanese residents, although they would not be able to take posts involving policymaking and cannot work for the fire department. "About 120,000 foreigners reside in this city, so establishing a system to hire foreign residents is realistic and significant," the mayor said. "I hope this system will work well and satisfy both Japanese and foreign residents to some degree."
Even though the Home Affairs Ministry has directed municipal governments not to employ foreigners, the city will introduce the new employment system from this year, Isomura said.