The government began offering money Wednesday for unemployed foreigners of Japanese ancestry to go home, mostly to Brazil and Peru, to stave off what officials say poses a serious unemployment problem.
Thousands of foreigners of Japanese ancestry, who had been hired on temporary or referral contracts, have lost their jobs recently, mostly at manufacturers such as Toyota Motor Corp. and its affiliates, which are struggling to cope with the global downturn.
The number of foreigners seeking government help to find jobs has climbed in recent months to 11 times the previous year at more than 9,000, according to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry.