Japan’s unemployment rate falls to lowest level in almost two years

Compared to a month earlier, the number of workers rose by 180,000 in March, while workers who were unemployed fell by 90,000 over the same month.
By: | April 28, 2022
Topics: Japan | Job Cuts | News | Recruitment

Japan’s jobless rate fell to 2.6% in March, hitting its lowest rate since April 2020 as the easing of COVID-19 restrictions helped support the labour market, according to government data. 

However, the number of furloughed workers remained high due to the effects of the pandemic. Compared to a month earlier, the number of workers rose by 180,000 in March, while workers who were unemployed fell by 90,000 over the same month. 

“The drop in unemployment rate indicates signs of recovery in the labour market”, a government official said at a media briefing, according to Reuters. 

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“But the impact of the pandemic appears to be lingering and requires close attention,” the official added, noting that the number of furloughed workers remained as high as 2.43 million in March, primarily among the face-to-face service sectors.

The country’s jobs-to-applicants ratio was 1.22 in March, labour ministry data showed.