FX.co ★ Japan Jobless Rate Rises to 13-Month High

Japan experienced an increase in its unemployment rate, reaching 2.6% in August 2025, up from 2.3% the previous month. This figure surpassed market expectations of 2.4% and is the highest since July 2024. The number of unemployed individuals rose by 150,000, reaching a 13-month peak of 1.79 million. Concurrently, employment decreased by 210,000, resulting in a four-month low of 68.10 million. The labor force slightly declined by 40,000 to 69.89 million, while the number of individuals outside the labor force dropped by 20,000 to 39.70 million. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, the labor force participation rate increased to 64.0% from 63.6% the previous year. Additionally, the jobs-to-applicants ratio fell to 1.20, marking its lowest point since January 2022.