TOKYO: Japan’s effective job openings-to-seekers ratio in June fell 0.09 point from the previous month to 1.11 after seasonal adjustment, hitting the lowest level since October 2014, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said Friday.

The ratio fell for the sixth straight month, reflecting worsening employment conditions due to an economic slowdown amid the spread of the new coronavirus.

Separately, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said the seasonally adjusted jobless rate in June fell 0.1 percentage point from May to 2.8 percent, down for the first time in seven months.

The number of jobless people decreased 1.5 percent to 1.94 million, the ministry said.

The effective job openings ratio indicates the number of jobs available for each job seeker registered with the ministry’s HelloWork job placement centers.

The number of effective job seekers in June surged 5.4 percent from the previous month.

“More people started job-hunting activities” following the lifting of the state of emergency declaration in late May, a health ministry official said.

The number of new job offers jumped 18.2 percent, the largest rise on record.

Meanwhile, the number of effective job openings dropped 1.9 percent, following the largest fall of 8.6 percent the previous month.

By prefecture of employment, the job openings ratio was lowest in Okinawa, southern Japan, at 0.75.

By industry, the living-related service and amusement sectors suffered the sharpest fall of 34.8 percent in the number of new job offers before seasonal adjustment, followed by a 34.2 percent plunge in the manufacturing sector and a 29.4 percent tumble in the accommodation and restaurant sectors.

JIJI Press