Pandemic hit to Japan's factory, retail sectors deeper than expected; jobless rate up to 2.6%

That was expected from the beginning when the world start these stupid Lockdowns.

My former Company in my home Country have to dismiss 3000 people just at one production site.

Who will bring food to these peoples families and bring them a roof over their heads? China?

I have to bring up China all the time, because in my opinion this lying country is responsible for all of this.

And when I read news like that I am getting more and more upset with that country.

My company here in Japan start now to work just 3 days a week. Other 2 days per week the company is closed.

You can imagine that the salary will slip down and that people will struggle to afford their daily lifes.

Who will send the bill to China?

The April jobless rate rose to 2.6%, its highest since December 2017, while the number of non-regular workers posted the biggest year-on-year drop on record.

Multiply this by what? It is impossible to believe that it only rose this small of a percentage!

Non-regular workers, what 60% of the workforce? Japan has to stop with this BS reporting, but it can't now can it? If it posted the "true" figures panic would set in!

Who will send the bill to China?

Right, just looking for someone to blame. Blame Abe, he could have shut things down here sooner than he did, but the Olympics were the priority when the rest of the world was literally getting sick!

Stop blaming China, and look at the country here and how it responded, or should I say didnt respond!

@Yubaru

You are screaming many times for a lockdown.

Do you understand that the result of "Your" Lockdowns is this article?

But let us say the Lockdowns are OK.

Who is responsible that countries have to to go into Lockdowns?

Simple and easy answer: China and its Corona Virus

Have to agree with Monty here - China bears an overwhelming responsibility for this whole mess. If China had behaved responsibly and acted quickly to isolate Wuhan and prevent flights from leaving city, the virus would have been far easier to contain. But they didn't, and preferred lying and obfuscation to save face, at the very least.

So while Abe etc. have been lacklustre in responding, none of it would have been necessary if it weren't;t for the CCP's intransigence.

Getting China to compensate the rest of the world is another matter altogether, though. So Monty, the cheque won't be in the mail for some time yet.

2.6% unemployment is better than expected. Most other nations would love to have that figure. In some places, unemployment is over 20% now due to the disaster.

I lost my job. Who is counting that?

Dear all, japan had been in a bad shape economy wise for more than 5 years, in business there is always the same pattern over the times. It is the operator not just one factor. But the Corona v was a good excuse.

@Yubaru

Stop blaming China

That's like saying stop blaming the fossil fuel industry for greenhouse-gas emissions. If people refuse to make a clear and accurate determination of a problem's causes and origins, then the problem can never be solved.

Blame Abe, he could have shut things down here sooner than he did,

Remember when Abe called on all the schools to close way back in February? Nearly everyone on this board (not me) was filled with vitriol over that prompt decision. Turns out they were wrong.

The current American rate is about 26%.

So? This is JAPAN! Once again, off the mark!

@Monty and kyronstavic. Don't make the mistake of blaming China when the real culprit is politics taking precedence over public health and transparency. Xi, Trump, Putin, Abe, and Bolsonaro are a just few examples of what happens to countries when politicians instead of medical doctors and public health scholars are either put to the side or just become the mouth piece of the ruling party. Also don't forget that Tedros could have made a strong and public case to Xi to shut down all lunar new year travel, but instead deferred to Xi's economic power over Ethiopia. It's too simplistic to blame China. All of the other countries bought Abe time and he squandered it. He could have built a real task force addressing the virus and also built an economic package to support the looming socio-economic fall out that other countries were experiencing but he instead concentrated on the Olympics. As soon as the Olympics was a lost cause there was an immediate change in Japan's direction but it was too late by then, and the only thing Abe could come up with was his mask. His idiot mask. BTW, I still haven't received mine. Our tax money put to good use. This isn't China's fault.

That's like saying stop blaming the fossil fuel industry for greenhouse-gas emissions. 

That's like saying blame the person next to you when you catch the flu! Everyone is looking for someone to blame and get some sort of compensation.

Just like the "millennial's" think they are "entitled" to something because they cant take responsibility for themselves!

And it's not even a close comparison, not to mention, disingenuous, to use the comparison you are talking about here, it's not the same!

Remember when Abe called on all the schools to close way back in February? Nearly everyone on this board (not me) was filled with vitriol over that prompt decision. Turns out they were wrong.

I remember, I also remember that I never called for, nor was against it either! I never made any comments "screaming" for a lockdown! My comments were about the impossibility of Abe instituting one.

@JefLee

What was the origin and cause of the Corona Virus? That's what researchers are still trying to determine. I've read zoonotic transfer from Pangolins or bats in the Wuhan wet markets, but unless the researchers have unfettered access to all relevant data it will be difficult to pin point the exact cause, in other words, it's still a fluid situation and new things are being discovered about this virus everyday so government officials and politicians need to step aside and let the professionals get on with their jobs. Also, I may be mistaken but I don't recall Abe calling for school closure in February. The government was still trying to handle the Diamond Princess and the bad exposure it was receiving on the world stage and the Olympics was still in Abe's mind. Closing the schools would have only shown that he didn't have everything under control. Please remember, it was until late March that the Olympics was officially postponed.

I thought Japan, before the coconut virus, was around 4%. How can it have "rose" to 2.6%?

I thought Japan, before the coconut virus, was around 4%. How can it have "rose" to 2.6%?

The unemployment rate was 2.4% in January and steadily rose to the current 2.6%. I would argue that this had little to do with corona but rather a natural fluctuation in the workforce., especially when April is traditionally job hunting season in japan

"The current American rate is about 26%.

So? This is JAPAN! Once again, off the mark!"

Unemployment rate:

Canada is 13%

Australia, soon to reach 16%

Uk , around 9%

Other places, not much better.

Comparisons are very relevant; this a worldwide crisis.

Moaners concerning Japan's situation wish not be reminded of the lyrics:

"Dem belly full but we hungry".

2.6% means the virus had no impact on the Japanese evonomy. Which anyone living here knows it is not true and impossible. Just like the infection data, Japan does indeed glitter abroad to the many that don't know but is it really gold, the answer is an emphatic no.

So Japan's unemployment of 2.6% is one tenth of the American rate of 26%.

And the only people who actually believe this to be true are drinking the koolaid and smoking some pretty strong ganja!

The unemployment statistics here NEVER include the people who are not actually looking for work, they dont include the underemployed, people working just a couple hours a week, are considered "gainfully employed" and a bunch of other BS that makes it look like Japanese are all working, wait minus the 2.6%

ANYONE, and I mean ANYONE who actually believes this, have their heads buried in the sand!

Oh if they were all working...no need to be giving out 100,000 per person either!

Yubaru does not deserve to be down-voted so hard (probably nettoyos are on the assault again).

Shinzo Abe had every opportunity to lessen the damage like what Taiwan, South Korea and Vietnam did. He didn't do so, just to save the god damn Olympics. Blaming China is justified; however, let's not forget the fact that the West underestimated China and the plague. We paid a huge price for being pompous and arrogant.

Xeon Man, thank you, but I really dont care one way or another about the votes, up nor down.

Just like life, I share my opinions and thoughts, you like it great, dont, oh well! Have a great day!

The American jobless rate for April is about 30 million people and currently about 26%.

So what,this is JAPAN right, oh and by the way the unemployment rate for the occupied Palestinian Territories is 26.4% So ....what does either of them matter when it comes to a web forum talking about ....wait one...Japan!

FYI, the unemployment rate in China is 6% And get this in India of all places it's only 3.5%, and they have over 31 MILLION people who are "officially" unemployed, (heck that beats America too!), but they only survey unemployment once every 5 years, so they dont count!

Need I continue? As much as you want Japan to be a part of America, it just aint so!

Comparisons between countries are made daily, even on this forum. Like the unemployment rate or the Covid-19. Silly to suggest Japan can be part of America, which is a major partner but China is the largest trading partner.

And they get censored and deleted too! No one really cares about America here, and its disingenious to try and compare the two countries, the systems are so different it's like you trying to compare apples and bowling balls, the only thing is they are both round!

Get on topic too for once, this is about unemployment statistics and not "trading partners", again problems with reading comprehension!

You compare Japan and America so often that it is easy to think that you want Japan to become America's 51st state!