The Japanese government compiles official job statistics by relying on a public placement service that young people increasingly shun, making it difficult to paint an accurate picture of the country's economy.

Japan's official statistics miss the depth of the labor shortage

Younger workers shun public job placement service, making its data less reliable

YOHEI HIROSE, Nikkei staff writer

April 6, 2024 11:11 JST

TOKYO -- Japan's official job statistics no longer reflect the true state of the country's labor shortage.

While demand for workers remains strong, the country's job-offers-to-seekers ratio for the last quarter of 2023 hit its lowest level in about seven years, except during the COVID-19 pandemic. This divergence is mostly caused by the government's continued use of data from a public job placement service that young job seekers increasingly shun in favor of private sector channels.