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Labour Force Survey
Information- Revision of seasonal adjustment in 2025
RegARIMA models have been updated and seasonally adjusted data rivised retroactively on the release of January 2025 results.
(on March 4, 2025) - Release Schedule updated
Release schedule for fiscal 2025 has been published.
(on January 31, 2025) - [Errata]Labour Force Survey(Detailed Tabulation) Quarterly Average Results from Jan.-Mar. 2018 to Jul.-Sep. 2019 and 2018 Yearly Average Results Table III-1, III-2
[Errata] Annual Report on the Labour Force Survey, JAPAN, 2018. Table II-B-12 Unemployed person (ILO 2013) by method used to seek a job, reason for seeking a job, reason unable to take up a job, age, type of household, relationship to the head of household, kind of job sought and duration of unemployment
(on December 18, 2019) - Labour Force Survey (Detailed Tabulation) Historical data Errata
(on February 15, 2019) - "Revision of the Labour Force Survey from January 2018"(PDF:114KB)
To grasp the varied state of the employment and unemployment more precisely, the Statistics Bureau of Japan revised the Labour Force Survey by introducing new questionnaires and enhancing current statistical tables from January 2018.
(on March 2, 2018)
1. The Survey Results
Results (Basic Tabulation)
- Latest Monthly Results
- Latest Quarterly Results
- 2024 Yearly Average Results
Results (Detailed Tabulation)
- Latest Quarterly Results(Detailed Tabulation)
- 2024 Yearly Results (Detailed Tabulation)
Annual Report on the Labour Force Survey
< Notes >
In the Labour Force Survey, the results are periodically revised due to the mechanics of estimating results, but Annual Report on the Labour Force Survey contains figures as of the time of publication.
Therefore, please note that the Annual Report published in each year are different from the data of e-Stat and Statistics Bureau of Japan website.
Historical data is always revised with the latest comparable time-series data, so please refer to that first when comparing time-series data.
(Notes: For further information of revision, please refer to Notes on the Historical data.)
Historical data
2. Release Schedule of the Survey Results
Basic Tabulation / Detailed Tabulation
3. About the Labour Force Survey
The Labour Force Survey is a survey of households usually residing in Japan.
Its purpose is to elucidate the current state of employment and unemployment in Japan every month.
There are two categories of results in this survey.
- Basic Tabulation (Released monthly)
- Items obtained from the Basic questionnaire:
Labour force, Employed person / Employee (by industry, occupation, type of employment (Regular/ Non-regular employee etc.), etc.), Weekly hours of work, Unemployed person (by reason for seeking a job etc.), Unemployment rate, Not in labour force etc.
- Items obtained from the Basic questionnaire:
- Detailed Tabulation (Released quarterly)
- Items mainly obtained from the Special questionnaire:
The reason for taking a non-regular employment, Person who changed job, Duration of unemployment, Person wishing to work (Not in labour force) etc.
- Items mainly obtained from the Special questionnaire:
Outline
- Outline of the Labour Force Survey(PDF:106KB)
- Concepts and Definitions(PDF:174KB)
- Sampling Method, Estimation Method, and Sampling Errors of Estimates(PDF:522KB)
Questionnaire and Instruction
- The Basic Questionnaire Form (PDF:232KB)
Instructions for Filling in the Questionnaire (Basic Tabulation) (PDF:268KB)
- The Special Questionnaire Form (PDF:229KB)
Instructions for Filling in the Questionnaire (Detailed Tabulation) (PDF:201KB)
Formerly used Questionnaire and Instruction
- The Basic Questionnaire Form (From January 2013 to December 2017) (PDF:157KB)
- The Special Questionnaire Form (From January 2013 to December 2017) (PDF:145KB)
Statistical tables & database
4. Other Information
Inquiry
- Notes on the results
- Errata on Labour Force Survey
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Special Survey of the Labour Force Survey
- Ad hoc Survey of Employment and Unemployment Conditions
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