Japan Job Availability Down for 3rd Year in FY 2025

Tokyo, April 28 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s average ratio of job openings to job seekers fell for the third consecutive year in fiscal 2025, which ended last month, the labor ministry said Tuesday. The ratio, which indicates the number of jobs available per seeker registered at Hello Work public job placement offices nationwide, stood at 1.2, down 0.05 point from the previous year. The number of effective job openings declined 4.1 pct to 2.29 million. The result underscored that despite persistent labor shortages, companies were slow to hire amid soaring prices, labor-saving efforts and minimum wage hikes. The average unemployment rate in fiscal 2025 rose 0.1 percentage point to 2.6 pct, marking the first increase in five years, the internal affairs ministry said. The number of jobless people jumped by 50,000 to 1.8 million, while the number of people with jobs hit a record high of 68.29 million, including a record 31.28 million women. In March alone, the seasonally adjusted job availability ratio slipped 0.01 point from the previous month to 1.18, while the unemployment rate increased 0.1 point to 2.7 pct. The war in Iran has had “no major impact” on the Japanese labor market, a labor ministry official said. The official added that a close watch is needed because of an emerging negative impact on manufacturing activity and revenue. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]