Nearly half of Japanese firms approve of BOJ chief's performance: Reuters poll

Group 1: Bank of Japan's Monetary Policy - Nearly 47% of Japanese companies view BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda's handling of monetary policy positively, while 30% have negative views [1][2] - Ueda has ended a decade-long negative interest rate policy and yield curve control, which previously capped the benchmark 10-year yield around 0% [1] - 60% of respondents believe the BOJ should find proper ways to manage its 37-trillion yen ($251.17 billion) holdings of exchange-traded funds (ETF) regardless of Ueda's term ending in early 2028 [4] Group 2: Foreign Workers in Japan - Eight out of ten companies in Japan employ non-Japanese workers due to chronic labor shortages [6] - 55% of companies cite labor shortages as a reason for hiring foreign workers, while 39% aim to strengthen overseas operations and 30% seek specialized knowledge and technology [6] - The number of foreign workers in Japan has increased by 12.4% year-on-year, reaching a record 2.3 million in 2024 [7]