{
  "id": 11339173,
  "title": "Japan jobless rate rises to 2.5% in August",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/japan-jobless-rate-rises-to-2-5-in-august-11339173",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-02T02:10:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Straits Times Business",
    "slug": "straits-times-business",
    "url": "https://www.straitstimes.com/business/japan-jobless-rate-rises-to-2-5-in-august"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Japan's unemployment rate climbed to 2.5% in August, up from 2.4% in September, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. The total workforce expanded by 30,000 to reach 68.34 million, seasonally adjusted, the ministry reported. Among those not employed, 400,000 were laid off, a 5.3% increase from July, while 810,000 departed voluntarily, likely seeking better working conditions, a 8% rise from the prior month. The number of individuals actively seeking employment grew by 2.2% to 460,000, according to the figures. The job availability ratio remained steady at 1.18, indicating 118 jobs were available for every 100 jobseekers, as per separate data from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Eight out of the 11 sectors experienced declines, with accommodation and restaurant services leading at an 11.1% drop, followed by wholesale and retail with a 10.2% decrease. Manufacturing saw a 3.9% increase in job openings, while information and communications rose by 3.3%.",
  "summary": "The job availability ratio was unchanged from July at 1.18, meaning there were 118 jobs available for every 100 jobseekers.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Mainichi",
        "title": "Japan jobless rate rises to 2.5% in August",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/japan-jobless-rate-rises-to-2-5-in-august",
        "published": "2026-10-02T00:26:54.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}