A record high 198,380 foreigners were working in Japan as of June 1, up 10.2 percent from a year earlier, according to a recent survey by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry.

The number of offices directly employing foreign workers was also up 13.4 percent to a record 25,106, further evidence that the labor market has been diversifying in terms of nationality in Japan, which is experiencing an aging population and declining birthrate.

The ministry sent out the annual survey questionnaire to all offices with 50 or more employees and some smaller offices, which total 155,009. Of these 94,143, or 60.7 percent, responded, with 28,017 of them employing foreigners directly or indirectly.

Of the laborers, 54.4 percent are engaged in the manufacturing industry, 12.1 percent in the service sector and 8.4 percent in education.

Some 43.2 percent were from East Asia, 30.4 percent from Central and South America, and 14 percent from Southeast Asia.

Among these, 40,358 were working in Tokyo and 25,436 in Aichi Prefecture, with more than half the total number being in the top five prefectures that also include Shizuoka, Kanagawa and Osaka.

A total of 144,891 were indirectly-employed workers, including temporary or contract staff, an increase of 9.4 percent, the ministry said.