Japan's Job Availability Ratio Rises to 1.24 in Sept.

   Tokyo, Oct. 29 (Jiji Press)--Japan's seasonally adjusted ratio of effective job openings to seekers in September rose 0.01 point from the previous month to 1.24, the labor ministry said Tuesday.
   The number of job seekers fell, chiefly reflecting wage hikes and improved treatment aimed at retaining human resources, while the number of job openings grew.
   The ratio represents the number of jobs available to each applicant at Hello Work public job placement centers across Japan.
   The number of effective job seekers went down 0.1 pct to 1.92 million, while that of effective job openings rose 0.1 pct to 2.38 million.
   Still, the number of new job openings, regarded as a leading economic indicator, fell 5.9 pct from a year before on an unadjusted basis, apparently because some companies refrained from offering new jobs amid rising raw material and utility costs. New job openings decreased 13.3 pct in the daily life-related services and entertainment sector and declined 9.1 pct in the manufacturing industry.

(2024/10/29-12:55)