Japan's jobless rate rises to 2.5% in January

It will continue to rise due to Abe and his cronnies destroying our country with debts and the 10%GST increase soon to come..

These stats are deceiving anyway,true that Japan still retain a very low jobless rate compare to the western countries,but the average wage is heavily under payed and the working hours are higher,and if you combine then with the less rights that workers have compare to Europe and North America we can easily figure out the picture.

Numbers sometimes need to be interpreted.

Even if you set aside the faulty jobs data scandal and take this at face value, I can't help but laugh at 2.5% when at least 40% of the working population have irregular jobs (part-timers, contract workers and temporary dispatch staff). So, while 2.5% sounds great and all, when nearly 1/2 of all workers are in unstable jobs and an even larger percentage isn't seeing real-wage increases, despite the so called labor crunch, just how healthy is the economy?

Does this include the falsified data as well?

TOKYO - Japan's unemployment rate edged up 0.1 percentage point from the previous month to 2.5 percent in January, reflecting a rising number of women quitting their jobs for better positions

Do they realise that this statement makes no sense at all? If a worker quits one job for another it has no effect what-so-ever on the over all unemployment rate.

It's difficult to believe any statistics in this article. It's all padded and falsified rubbish!

"The unemployment rate for January rose but there is no change in the trend of steadily improving labor conditions," an internal affairs ministry official told reporters.

That's for sure! There has been no change to steadily improve labor conditions...

Even if you set aside the faulty jobs data scandal and take this at face value, I can't help but laugh at 2.5% when at least 40% of the working population have irregular jobs (part-timers, contract workers and temporary dispatch staff).

Exactly this. They love to compare the current numbers to the era where wives didn't have to take two part-time, underpaid jobs so that they could put food on the table. Then skew the numbers as though its a win.

In time, the current labor conditions will brings Japan's famed life-expectancy down when the stress of the average working-life and uncertainty (let alone Fukushima) start to take more of a toll on the younger generations that have to carry this burden. But the LDP (no doubt they will STILL be in power) will find a way to skew those figures and brag about how great Japan is to the world.

Well, another bit of good news and the comments are always the same. Don't you guys get tired of saying the same thing over and over? No really comments just hate and dumb comments.

reflecting a rising number of women quitting their jobs for better positions

If only women had equal rights to men and protection from sexual harassment, then they won't quit

"As already mentioned if workers merely changed one job for another there would be there would be no net effect on the rate. "

Because, the workers feel they can get a BETTER JOB with MORE MONEY NOT the same MONEY. SO they Leave and thus the unemployment rate goes up slightly.

"...when nearly 1/2 of all workers are in unstable jobs and an even larger percentage isn't seeing real-wage increases, despite the so called labor crunch, just how healthy is the economy?"

Extremely healthy, according to to the reformists. They call it "labour market flexibility." This is what the "market reforms" -- started by Koizumi and supported by analysts and a majority of posters on JT -- support.

When I've have criticized the market reform movement on this board over the years, I always get heavily down voted, often not a single up-vote. So this is what the punters want. They want to be dominated and kept in their place by the billionaires and the global elite.

alwaysspeakingwisdom - Well, another bit of good news 

Eh? Increased unemployment is good news? Wow! Are you sure about that?

In plan words, the figures mean Japan is short of people willing to do "slave" labor for little money in KKK jobs.

Hence, the Abe Cabinet push to import such labor.

Simple really.

But under orders from Washington Japan continues to buy US arms to support the US economy! Under orders from Washington Japan increases its imports of US goods rather than manufacture them at home.

When you are unemployed and looking for work, the phrase "Native Japanese Only" is often a blocker for those who are not native to this Country regardless as to their Language ability (and that's a phrase seen often on Job Descriptions for large Foreign Banks such as JP Morgan, Banc of America, GoldMan Sachs, etc). It makes you wonder...