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The job openings-to-applicants ratio in Japan stood at **** in 2025. Japan’s active job offer-to-applicants ratio has stayed above one since 2014 and marked a decade high of **** in 2018.

What is the job openings-to-applicants ratio?

The job openings-to-applicants ratio is calculated based on the number of active job openings and jobseekers to indicate how many jobs per job applicant are available in a certain period. A ratio above one indicates a shortage of available applicants, while a ratio below one hints at an excess supply of labor. Since the data is based on reports from Japan’s public employment service (“Hello Work”), it does not cover other channels through which individuals seek employment, such as private recruitment services. The job openings-to-applicants ratio by occupation type in June 2025 showed the highest shortage of applicants for *** and ** and * workers, while there was a surplus in available applicants for *** work.

Japan’s labor shortage

Japan experiences a serious and chronic labor shortage that has persisted since the 2010s, driven by the country’s low fertility rate as well as its aging and shrinking population. The unemployment rate has remained below percent since 2017, and a growing share of businesses have been experiencing problems with securing a sufficient number of workers. In 2024, the number of corporate bankruptcies due to labor shortages reached a decade high. A quarterly business sentiment survey revealed that, in the last years, businesses of all sizes have experienced labor shortages, with enterprises in the non-manufacturing sector being the most severely affected.