2025.10.3023:47:17UTC+00Japan Jobless Rate Steady at 2.6%, Slightly Above Consensus

Japan’s unemployment rate remained steady at 2.6% in September 2025, consistent with the previous month’s figures but slightly surpassing market expectations of 2.5%. This figure marks the highest level since July 2024, with the number of unemployed individuals increasing by 20,000, reaching a 14-month peak of 1.81 million. Simultaneously, employment numbers grew by 24,000, setting a new record with 68.40 million people employed. Additionally, the labor force saw an expansion of 250,000, totaling 70.14 million. The cohort of individuals not participating in the labor force decreased by 240,000, bringing the total to 39.46 million. On a non-seasonally adjusted scale, the labor force participation rate rose to 64.2%, achieving the highest point in three months, compared to 63.5% at the same time last year. Meanwhile, the jobs-to-applicants ratio maintained its position at 1.20 for the second month in a row, which is the lowest ratio observed since January 2022.