Tokyo [Japan], April 30: Japan's average unemployment rate in fiscal 2025 rose 0.1 percentage point from a year earlier to 2.6 percent, deteriorating for the first time in five years, as more people who were not previously working were counted as unemployed after starting to look for jobs, government data showed Tuesday.
In the fiscal year ended March, the number of unemployed people increased 50,000 to 1.80 million and the number of those with jobs grew 360,000 to 68.29 million, the highest level since comparable data became available in 1953, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said.
The number of employed women stood at 31.28 million, up 360,000 from fiscal 2024, also marking a record high.
Of those not in work, the number of people who lost their jobs climbed 10,000 from the previous fiscal year to 420,000, while 760,000 people left their jobs voluntarily, typically to seek better conditions.
Those newly seeking jobs increased 30,000 to 500,000, according to the ministry.
In March alone, the unemployment rate rose to 2.7 percent from 2.6 percent in the previous month, increasing for the first time in two months, while the number of people with jobs edged down 0.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted 68.15 million, theministry said.
Among those not in work, 430,000 were let go, unchanged from February, while 790,000 people left their jobs voluntarily, up 3.9 percent. Those newly seeking jobs increased 3.8 percent to 550,000, according to theministry.
A ministry official said, "Employment conditions remain solid," citing the increase from the previous month in the number of people who quit their jobs to pursue better working conditions and are currently seeking new positions.
The official noted that "Overall, beyond the latest data, there is a broadly shared view that labor shortages persist," adding, "It has become easier for workers to pursue positions offering better employment conditions."
The average job availability ratio in fiscal 2025 fell 0.05 point from the previous fiscal year to 1.20, meaning there were 120 jobs available for every 100 job seekers, dropping for the third consecutive year, according to separate data.
The job availability ratio in March edged down 0.01 point from February to 1.18, falling for the first time in two months, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor andWelfare.
By industry, new job openings declined across seven sectors, led by information and communications with a plunge of 15.8 percent in March from a year earlier.
There were 6.5 percent fewer job offers in the wholesale and retail sector, while new job openings fell 6.4 percent in accommodation and restaurant services.
Source: Qatar Tribune
