TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Japanese account for the lion’s share of Taiwan’s foreign workforce when it comes to specialized or technical work, followed by Americans, according to the latest report by the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS).

As of June, there are 31,000 such foreign laborers living in Taiwan, representing a five percent year-on-year increase, with Japanese comprising the largest portion, or 24 percent, and U.S. citizens coming second at 12 percent. Malaysians, Indians, and Filipinos round out the top five nationalities represented at 11.9 percent, 5.8 percent, and 4.3 percent, respectively.

Males dominate the island’s professional foreign labor scene, making up 74.4 percent of the total, according to the statistics. Professional employees are defined as those engaging in a number of types of work stipulated in Article 46 of the Employment Service Act, excluding school teachers, said the DGBAS.

A breakdown of the job categories indicates that more than 60 percent of foreign workers are engaged in specialized or technical work. Teachers working for supplementary schooling institutions and those taking up management posts at businesses invested in by overseas Chinese or foreigners make up 14.1 percent and 9.5 percent, respectively.

Industry-wise, over 20 percent of skilled foreigners work in manufacturing. This is followed by retail (18 percent), education (16.5 percent), and specialized sciences and technical services (14.3 percent).