Job openings ratio rises to 1.52

August 29, 2017

TOKYO- Japan's seasonally adjusted ratio of effective job openings to seekers in July rose 0.01 point from the previous month to 1.52, the highest level since February 1974, labor ministry data showed Tuesday.

The figure improved for the fifth straight month on the back of increasing labor shortages, mainly at electronics makers, which continued robust production, and other manufacturers.

The ratio for regular jobs remained unchanged at 1.01, after exceeding one in June for the first time since the survey started in November 2004.

Separately, the internal affairs ministry said that the country's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 2.8 pct in July, unchanged from the previous month.

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

The job openings ratio shows the number of jobs available to each job seeker registered at HelloWork public job placement offices nationwide.

In July, the number of effective job offers stayed almost flat, while that of job seekers decreased 0.4 pct. For regular positions, offers were also nearly flat, while seekers fell 0.5 pct.

New job offers grew markedly in the manufacturing industry, including smartphone-related electronics and electronic parts makers and automakers, due to brisk demand. Steep growth was also posted in the transportation, mail delivery and construction sectors, which suffered serious shortages of workers.

By prefecture where job offers were accepted, the job openings ratio was the highest in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan, at 2.11, and the lowest in Hokkaido, northernmost Japan, at 1.09.

In July, the overall number of jobless people grew by 10,000 to 1.9 million after seasonal adjustment.

The increase came as the number of people who voluntarily quit their jobs to search for better jobs rose by 40,000. The number of people who began to seek jobs in the month, including housewives, fell by 60,000.

Before seasonal adjustment, the number of regular employees increased by 600,000 from a year earlier to 34.29 million. Nonregular employees rose by 350,000 to 20.68 million. Jiji Press