PUBLICATIONS & REPORTS

Contents Introduction

Amid Japan’s ongoing population decline and aging society, local cities are particularly affected by depopulation and labor shortages. To address the growing scarcity of human resources, international students are increasingly regarded as ideal candidates for employment, and the demand for retaining them in local cities is rising. However, existing research on international students’ workplace choices after graduation remains limited, and empirical studies specifically focusing on local cities are especially scarce.

This paper explores the factors influencing international students' workplace choices after graduation based on a questionnaire survey conducted among international students in the Kitakyushu Science and Research Park (Gakken Toshi). The results reveal that factors such as age, familiarity with local companies, and currently studying Japanese are positively and significantly associated with the likelihood of choosing Kitakyushu as future workplace. When focusing specifically on students who wish to work after graduation (excluding those who wish to pursue further education), receiving scholarships from Japanese institutions (such as the national government, Kitakyushu City, or private organizations) also shows a significant positive correlation. On the other hand, international students with Japanese language proficiency at or above JLPT N2 level tend to be less likely to prefer Kitakyushu. Regarding factors considered important when choosing a workplace, students who place importance to "company reputation," " level of Japanese proficiency required by the company," and "workplace environment and ease of working" are significantly more likely to choose Kitakyushu as their workplace.

Based on these findings, the paper also proposes policy measures to promote the local employment of international students.