TOKYO —

Japan’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate averaged 3.8% in fiscal 2007 ended March 31, down from 4.1% in fiscal 2006 to hit a 10-year low, the government said Wednesday. The fiscal 2007 rate sank to the 3% zone for the first time since a figure of 3.5% was recorded in fiscal 1997, reflecting a tightening in the labor market with the recovery of Japanese economy.
   
The unemployment rate fell for the fifth straight year after peaking at 5.4% in fiscal 2002, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said in a preliminary report. A ministry official, however, warned that the pace of recovery in employment conditions ‘‘has stalled recently,’’ and the brisk fiscal 2007 results were brought about by strong figures in the first half of the fiscal year.
   

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4 Comments

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  umbrella at 09:14 PM JST - 30th April

  If you work just 1 hour a month, you are not considered unemployed for the purpose of these figures. These figures should be roughly doubled to compare to those of other senshinkoku.

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  some14some at 09:53 PM JST - 30th April

  These figures should be roughly doubled to compare to those of other senshinkoku.

  Ofcourse yes, that is the reason they just mention percentage...no basis for calculations, how do we know how many are employed or unemployed?

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  Patrick Smash at 10:16 PM JST - 30th April

  More to do with declining birth rate than anything else obviously. More people retired last year than were employed. This figure should fall close to zero in the next decade or so.

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  noborito at 12:06 AM JST - 1st May

  hire more people to protect us on the street construction crews. hire more Mc. D staff. Hire more Yoshinoya staff. And call them all jobs. incomes haven't changed in Japan for 20 years. Wish prices had the same 20 year record.

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