Japan Job Availability Hits 4-Year Low in Jan.

Tokyo, March 3 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s seasonally adjusted ratio of effective job openings to seekers fell 0.02 point from the previous month to 1.18 in January, hitting the lowest level since it was 1.17 in December 2021, a labor ministry report showed Tuesday. The decline came as many companies continued to curb new job offers while boosting investment in labor-saving measures. The ratio represents the number of jobs available to each job seeker registered with Hello Work public job placement offices across the country. In January, the number of effective job seekers rose 0.9 pct, reflecting an increase in workers hoping to change jobs for better pay and more favorable conditions amid rising prices. Meanwhile, the number of effective job openings dropped 0.1 pct. New job offers decreased significantly in the accommodation and food service sector and in the wholesale and retail sector, down 13.8 pct and 11.6 pct, respectively. A labor ministry official attributed the results partly to concerns over a decrease in Chinese visitors to Japan. Separately, the internal affairs ministry said the same day that the country’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose 0.1 point from the previous month to 2.7 pct in January, marking the first increase in five months. The number of jobless people increased as more workers voluntarily quit to take new jobs with better conditions. The number of women with jobs before seasonal adjustment fell by 20,000 from a year earlier to 30.9 million, down for the first time in 48 months. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]