Japan's unemployment rate fell to 2.5 percent in June from 2.6 percent a month earlier amid the receding impact of the coronavirus pandemic, while the number of employed female workers reached a record-high 30.65 million, government data showed Tuesday.
The job availability ratio, meanwhile, fell 0.01 point from May to 1.30, with the number of job offers remaining around the same even as more people seek out work to cope with increased living expenses. The figure indicates there were 130 job openings for every 100 job seekers.
According to labor force data released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the number of employed people rose by 260,000 in June from a year earlier to 67.85 million, with women seeing an increase of 240,000 to 30.65 million, the highest number since comparable data became available in 1953.
On a seasonally adjusted basis, the number of unemployed people dropped 40,000 from the previous month to 1.73 million. Among them, 710,000 people voluntarily left their jobs and 440,000 people were dismissed, both unchanged.
By sector, the number of people working in the accommodation and restaurant businesses rose 4.7 percent from a year earlier to 3.97 million.
"We think the impact of the coronavirus pandemic is fading little by little," an official at the ministry said, adding that the downgrading of COVID-19's classification in May to a level equivalent to the seasonal flu is encouraging people to go out which is increasing demand for workers.
According to separate data by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the number of job seekers grew 0.6 percent in June from the month before, while the number of job openings remained flat.
A labor ministry official said more people may be seeking side jobs as households struggle to deal with inflation.
The accommodation and restaurant industry saw the sharpest rise in job offers among sectors at 1.3 percent from a year earlier, followed by 0.9 percent in the medical care and welfare sector.
In contrast, employment offers dropped in the manufacturing industry and construction by 11.0 percent and 7.2 percent, respectively.
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