The International Monetary Fund has called on Japan to promote the use of foreign workers and the participation of women and elderly people in the labor market as part of efforts to achieve firmer and sustained growth.
In its assessment of the Japanese economy following annual consultations with the government, the IMF suggested advancing "reforms to bolster investment as well as diversifying and enhancing labor supply to raise potential growth."
"To this end, full-time work, female and older labor market participation, and use of foreign labor, should be facilitated," the Washington-based institution said in a report released Monday.