28.08.202523:40:06UTC+00Japan Jobless Rate Falls to Lowest Since 2019

In July 2025, Japan's unemployment rate fell to 2.3%, surprising markets by beating expectations of 2.5% and declining from the consistent rate held over the previous four months. This marks the lowest unemployment rate since December 2019. The number of unemployed individuals decreased by 80,000, reaching 1.64 million—the lowest level since January 2020. Concurrently, employment experienced a slight decline of 10,000, adjusting the total employment to 68.31 million, while the labor force contracted by 110,000 to 69.93 million. Additionally, the population not actively participating in the labor force increased by 150,000, totaling 39.72 million. Examining the non-seasonally adjusted figures, there was a noticeable rise in the labor force participation rate to 63.9%, up from 63.5% compared to the same period the previous year. The jobs-to-applicants ratio remained constant at 1.22 for the second consecutive month, maintaining its lowest point since March 2022.