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March 03, 2026JAPAN LABOUR FORCE SURVEY, JANUARY 2026 
Japan's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose slightly to 2.7% in January 2026. Compared with the December 2025, Japan's labour force contracted by 0.3% and employment fell by 0.4%.
Japan's unemployment rate has been stable since 2022, as movements in labour force and employment have been very similar. In recent months, there was a slight gain in both labour force and employment. January 2026 brought declines to both employment and labour force. In contrast, labour force and employment are more volatile in Canada and Nova Scotia. In Nova Scotia, there has been modest growth in both labour force and employment in 2025 while in Canada, labour force growth outpaced employment gains.
Sources: Statistics Bureau of Japan. Table: 1-a-1 (Seasonally adjusted) Major items (Labour force, Employed person, Employee, Unemployed person, Not in labour force, Unemployment rate (since Jan.1953); Table: 2-1 Population aged 15 years old and over by labour force status (Labour force, Employed person, Unemployed person, Not in labour force, Labour force participation rate, Employment rate, Unemployment rate, etc.); Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0287-01 Labour force characteristics, monthly, seasonally adjusted and trend-cycle
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