Unemployment Rate Ticks Higher As Workers Seek Better Jobs
Japan's unemployment rate inched higher in May, marking the first rise in four months. Government officials say the uptick may be due to workers quitting in search of better jobs.
The internal affairs ministry says the seasonally adjusted jobless rate was 2.6 percent in May, up 0.1 point from April.
The number of unemployed people fell by 220,000 to 1.91 million compared to a year earlier.
Those who had voluntarily left their jobs made up the largest category in this group. Their number totaled 790,000, up 60,000 from the previous month.
Internal ministry officials say an easing of pandemic conditions is giving people more confidence to seek out better career opportunities.
In related data, officials at the labor ministry say the ratio of job openings to job seekers was 1.24 in May, meaning there were 124 openings for every 100 applicants. The figure marks the fifth consecutive monthly increase.