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News Bulletin
RECENT RELEASE
2011 Unemployment rate decreased by 0.5 points
Introduction
The SBJ released the 2011 yearly average results (Basic Tabulation) on January 31, 2012.
The Labour Force Survey is conducted to provide monthly data on the employment and unemployment situation covering the population aged 15 years old or above, for evaluating economic conditions and making labour policies in Japan.
The results for the whole Japan exclude three prefectures (Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima) struck by the Great East Japan Earthquake, where the survey operation was suspended for several months from March 2011. For time-series comparison, the corresponding figures from 2010 are also compiled excluding the three prefectures. "Change from the previous year" indicate differences between data without the three prefectures.
Employment
The annual average number of employed persons in 2011 was 59.77 million, a decrease of 30 thousand from the previous year.
With regard to the number of employed persons by industries, "Manufacturing", "Information and communications" and "Accommodations, eating and drinking services" decreased from the previous year, while "Medical, health care and welfare" increased.
The annual average number of Labour force was 62.61 million, a decrease of 360 thousand from the previous year. The annual average Labour force participation rate was 59.3%.
Unemployment
The annual average number of unemployed persons was 2.84 million, a decrease of 330 thousand from the previous year. The number of unemployed persons who "Quit their job involuntarily"* was 1.06 million, a decrease of 240 thousand from the previous year.
The annual average unemployment rate in 2011 was 4.5%, a decrease of 0.5 points from the previous year.
Unemployed Persons and Unemployment Rate
Note: * Those who "Quit their job involuntarily" are those who quit their job because of "Mandatory retirement, termination of employment contract" and "Circumstances of employer or business".
(Source)Labour Force Survey(SBJ)
The annual average figures in 2011 were released on January 31, 2012, and the Annual Report will be published in May. For further details, see the web site below.
http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/roudou/index.htm
