Tokyo, 29 August, /AJMEDIA/
Japan’s jobless rate rose to 2.7 percent in July from 2.5 percent a month earlier, deteriorating for the first time in four months, as more women sought employment amid higher living costs, government data showed Tuesday.
The job availability ratio inched down 0.01 point from June to 1.29, falling for the third straight month, as more people looked for employment while job offers remained at roughly the same level, according to separate data.
The ratio indicates there were 129 job openings for every 100 job seekers.
The number of people with jobs fell 0.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted 67.45 million, while the number of unemployed people increased 6.4 percent to 1.84 million, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
The number of unemployed woman climbed 150,000 to 810,000, while that of men dropped 20,000 to 1.04 million.
The number of women not in the labor force, comprising those aged 15 and above who are not seeking employment such as housewives, fell 170,000 to 25.69 million from June, indicating more women were looking for jobs.
A ministry official attributed the increase in women seeking employment to recent inflation, the lifting of coronavirus-related restrictions that has encouraged people to go out and the anticipation of higher minimum hourly wages.
The ministry will monitor whether such women successfully land jobs and contribute to a decline in the unemployment rate, the official said.
By sector, the number of workers in construction rose 3.5 percent to 4.74 million, while employees in wholesale and retail services increased 1.5 percent to 10.63 million on an unadjusted basis.
According to separate data from the labor ministry, the number of job seekers grew 0.9 percent in July from the month before, while the number of job openings remained flat.
A labor ministry official said more people were looking for jobs after company bankruptcies and to cope with surging prices.
The information and communications sector saw the biggest increase in employment offers, up 5.2 percent from a year earlier, followed by 2.1 percent in the accommodation and restaurant sector.
In contrast, job offers fell in the manufacturing sector and construction by 11.4 percent and 8.0 percent, respectively.