Job openings ratio marks 1st rise in 3 months

April 27, 2018

Tokyo- Japan's seasonally adjusted ratio of effective job openings to seekers in March grew 0.01 point from the previous month to 1.59, its first rise in three months, the labor ministry said Friday.

The rise reflected an increase in the number of job offers mainly in the manufacturing sector.

The country's employment situation "is steadily improving," a ministry official said.

Separately, the internal affairs ministry said the country's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in March was unchanged from the previous month at 2.5 percent.

The number of jobless people grew by 40,000 to 1.73 million.

Reflecting the improving employment situation, the number of people who voluntarily quit to find new jobs with better conditions increased by 60,000.

In fiscal 2017, which ended last month, the average rate of job openings to seekers increased 0.15 point from the previous year to 1.54, hitting the second highest level on record.

The average jobless rate fell 0.3 point to 2.7 percent in fiscal 2017. The number of employed people rose by 870,000 to 65.66 million, a record high.

In March, the rate of new job offers to seekers was up 0.11 point from the previous month to a record high of 2.41.

Among the country's 47 prefectures, the job openings ratio was the highest in Tokyo, at 2.07, and the lowest in Okinawa, at 1.12.

The job openings ratio for regular positions rose 0.01 point to a record high of 1.08.

Before seasonal adjustment, the number of new job openings grew 7.6 percent from a year before in the manufacturing industry, 5.9 percent in the construction sector, 5.3 percent in the education service industry and 5 percent in the medical and welfare sector. Jiji Press