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Frequently Asked Questions
In General
1 What kind of survey is the Labour Force Survey?
2 What is the definition of the employed and unemployed?
3 On what concepts are the employed and unemployed defined in the ILO standards based?
4 How is the unemployment rate calculated?
Concerning the Employed
5 Why are those who worked only for an hour during the last week of a month regarded as employed?
6 Why are unpaid workers in a family business regarded as employed?
7 Are "Freeters" regarded as employed or unemployed?
Concerning the Unemployed
10 Are job leavers who tried to seek work but finally gave it up regarded as unemployed?
11 Is Japan's definition of the unemployed narrower that of other nations?
12 Does Japan's unemployment rate tend to be lower or higher than that of the U.S.?
15 Are unemployment rates by prefecture available?
16 Why are seasonally adjusted values mainly used as unemployment rates?