Japan Jobless Rate Holds at 2.5%

2026-06-29 23:41 By Farida Husna 1 min. read

Japan's unemployment rate stood at 2.5% in May 2026, unchanged from the previous month and in line with market expectations.

The rate remained at its lowest level since July 2025, as the number of unemployed fell by 50 thousand to a 10-month low of 1.74 million, while employment rose by 610 thousand to a record high of 68.82 million.

The labor force also increased by 20 thousand to an all-time high of 70.57 million.

Meanwhile, the number of people outside the labor force declined by 40 thousand to a record low of 38.96 million.

On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, the labor force participation rate edged up to 64.6%, from 64.4% in April and 64.0% a year earlier, indicating continued improvement in labor market participation.

At the same time, the jobs-to-applicants ratio slipped to 1.17 from 1.18 in both March and April, marking the lowest reading in five months and suggesting hiring demand softened slightly despite the still-tight labor market.



News Stream
Japan Jobless Rate Holds at 2.5%
Japan's unemployment rate stood at 2.5% in May 2026, unchanged from the previous month and in line with market expectations. The rate remained at its lowest level since July 2025, as the number of unemployed fell by 50 thousand to a 10-month low of 1.74 million, while employment rose by 610 thousand to a record high of 68.82 million. The labor force also increased by 20 thousand to an all-time high of 70.57 million. Meanwhile, the number of people outside the labor force declined by 40 thousand to a record low of 38.96 million. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, the labor force participation rate edged up to 64.6%, from 64.4% in April and 64.0% a year earlier, indicating continued improvement in labor market participation. At the same time, the jobs-to-applicants ratio slipped to 1.17 from 1.18 in both March and April, marking the lowest reading in five months and suggesting hiring demand softened slightly despite the still-tight labor market.
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