Perception of Foreign Workers Changes with Understanding of Social Security System: Study Demonstrates Recognition of Health Insurance Enrollment Increases Preference for High-Income Workers

【Research Summary and Key Points】
We investigated the impact of domestic redistribution policies on public preferences for foreign workers in Japan.
An online survey experiment targeting approximately 2,000 residents of Japan revealed that knowing that foreign workers are also enrolled in the health insurance system increases the preference for high-income foreign workers.
However, this tendency was found to appear only in people who do not feel that an increase in foreign workers threatens the employment of themselves or their families.
This research shows that when considering policies for accepting foreign workers, it is necessary to consider not only responses to labor shortages but also an understanding of the social security system and employment anxiety.

【Research Overview】
A research group including Associate Professor Tomoko Matsumoto of the Tokyo University of Science's Division of Liberal Arts and Associate Professor Daiki Kishishita of Hitotsubashi University's Faculty of Economics revealed through an online survey of approximately 2,000 people that the recognition that foreign workers are included in Japan's health insurance system influences the "types of foreign workers" people want to accept.
In Japan, the acceptance of foreign workers is a significant policy issue against the backdrop of labor shortages due to a declining birthrate and aging population. On the other hand, the impact on employment and social security systems has been debated regarding the acceptance of foreign workers. However, it had not been sufficiently clarified how the recognition that foreign workers are also enrolled in Japan's health insurance system affects preferences for income tiers of foreign workers.
In this study, an online survey was conducted targeting approximately 2,000 residents in Japan. Some respondents were explained that foreign workers are also enrolled in Japan's health insurance system, and that higher-income earners pay more in insurance premiums. Then, different types of foreign workers with varying ages, incomes, industries, regions of origin, etc., were presented, and respondents were asked how many of each type they would like to accept if Japan accepted 100 foreign workers.
As a result, it became clear that knowing that foreign workers are enrolled in the health insurance system increased the preference for high-income foreign workers and decreased the preference for low-income foreign workers. This suggests that the perception of foreign workers changes from merely being a presence to supplement labor shortages to being recognized as contributors to the social security system, which could change the type of talent people want to accept.
On the other hand, this effect was seen only in people who did not feel that the increase in foreign workers might threaten the employment of themselves or their families. In other words, it was shown that consciousness regarding the acceptance of foreign workers is closely related not only to an understanding of the social security system but also to employment anxiety.
The results of this research show that when considering policies for accepting foreign workers, it is necessary to discuss not only responses to labor shortages but also an understanding of the social security system and employment anxiety. In the future, as the necessity for foreign workers increases in Japan, it provides important insights for considering the design of acceptance systems and the formation of social consensus.
This research result was published online in the international academic journal "Public Choice" on June 1, 2026.