FX.co ★ Japan’s Jobless Rate Holds Steady at 2.6% in December, Signalling Labor Market Stability

Japan’s unemployment rate remained unchanged at 2.6% in December 2025, matching November’s figure and underscoring continued stability in the country’s labor market. The latest reading, released on 29 January 2026, suggests that employment conditions neither deteriorated nor improved at year-end, despite ongoing global economic uncertainty.

The flat reading means Japan has now held its unemployment rate at 2.6% for at least two consecutive months, from November through December 2025. While the data do not indicate acceleration in hiring, they also point to resilience in the job market, with no clear signs of a weakening employment backdrop as the economy headed into 2026.