Dive Brief:

• News stories in Japan read like they could have come from the United States, with contractors unable to get the workers they need for the projects they want to build.
• Yamauchi Takashi, CEO of Taisei Construction, told a newspaper that there are seven jobs for every worker who frames buildings.
• Projects are being put on hold in the Tokyo region, and there is also the demand for reconstruction in areas damaged by earthquakes, and the country will need construction to host the 2020 Olympics.

Dive Insight:

Japan has strict policies for expelling workers who overstay short-term visas, but the government is considering special conditions for longer-term stays in what it terms national strategic special zones.