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January 29, 2021JAPAN LABOUR FORCE SURVEY, DECEMBER AND ANNUAL 2020 
In December 2020, Japan's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was stable at 2.9%. The impacts of COVID-19 are apparent in Japan's labour market, with a rising unemployment rate during 2020. However, the magnitude of Japan's labour market shock appears to be more moderate than observed in other advanced economies.
Compared to February 2020, Japan's labour force in December was down 0.1% while employment was down 0.7%. The impacts of COVID-19 on Canada's and Nova Scotia's labour markets was more severe in the spring and summer months. From February to December 2020, Canada's labour force declined by 0.1% while employment fell 3.4%. Canada's unemployment rate increased from 5.7% in February to 8.8% in December. Nova Scotia's December labour force was down 1.8% and employment was down 2.6% compared to February. As a result of the steeper decline in employment, Nova Scotia’s unemployment rate decreased from 8.0% in February to 8.8% in December.
ANNUAL (2020)
Japan's unemployment rate averaged 2.8% in 2020, up from 2.4% in each of the previous two years. Nova Scotia's unemployment rate averaged 9.8% in 2020, up from 7.4% in 2019. Canada's unemployment rate averaged 9.5%, up from 5.7% in 2019.
The overall labour force and employment shocks in Japan in 2020 have been milder than those reported in either Nova Scotia or Canada.
Sources:
Statistics Bureau of Japan. Table: a-1 (Seasonally adjusted) Major items (Labour force, Employed person, Employee, Unemployed person, Not in labour force, Unemployment rate (since Jan.1953); Table a-2: 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.) (since 1953)
Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0287-01 Labour force characteristics, monthly, seasonally adjusted and trend-cycle; Table 14-10-0327-01 Labour force characteristics by sex and detailed age group, annual
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