New figures show the ratio of job offers to job seekers in Japan rose in July. It was the first increase in four months.
The labor ministry says there were 124 job openings for every 100 applicants. That’s up slightly from 123 positions in June.
Ministry officials say the reason for the increase was that fewer people were applying for work, and not an increase in hiring. In fact, manufacturers and many other firms weren’t taking on new staff because the weaker yen was driving up their costs.
Separate data from the internal affairs ministry shows that Japan’s unemployment rate rose in July. It climbed to 2.7 percent. That’s up 0.2 of a percentage point from June.
It’s the first time since February that the jobless rate has worsened.
