Recent Statistical Survey Reports, December 2009

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Statistical Survey Reports

Survey on Labor Economic Trend (November)

Friday, December 4, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

By the judgment of employment surplus or shortage DI as of November 1, 2009, regarding the trend of the sense of employment surplus or shortage, in the total of industries surveyed, regular employees and part-time workers accounted for -8 (an increase by 6 points from the previous term), and the DI shows the excess of surplus. On the other hand, that of part-time workers changed to a shortage accounting for +3 (an increase by 4 points from the previous term).

Indexes of Business Conditions (Preliminary Report for October)

Tuesday, December 8, released by the Cabinet Office

The Coincident Index of Composite Index (CI, preliminary figures, 2005=100) in October was 94.3, an increase of 1.1 points, for 7 consecutive months. And 3 months backward moving average increased for 6 consecutive months, an increase of 1.43 points, and 7 months backward moving average increased for 3 consecutive months, an increase of 1.36 points. So the Assessment of Coincident Index was "Improving". The Leading Index was 89.7, an increase of 2.2 points, and the Lagging Index was 84.8, an increase of 1.7 points.

National Accounts (The 2nd Preliminary Estimates Jul.-Sep. 2009)

Wednesday, December 9, released by the Cabinet Office

Real GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth rate (Seasonally Adjusted) was 0.3% (1.3% on annual basis), a decrease of 0.9 points (3.5 points on annual basis) from the 1st Preliminary estimates.

Of real GDP growth rate, -0.1% was contributed by domestic demand and 0.4% by external demand.

Quartely Estimates of GDP: Jul. ~Sep. 2009 (The 2nd Preliminary Estimates)
Growth rate of GDP from the previousQuarters(seasonally adjusted)
Contributions of Domestic Demand and External Demand to Changes in GDP

Basic Survey on Labor Unions (2009)

Thursday, December 10, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

The number of labor union members who belong to single unions as of June 30, 2009 was 10.078 million, increased by 0.1%, 13 thousand from the previous year.

The estimated unionization rate was 18.5%, turned up by 0.4 points from the previous year.

The number of labor union members of part-time workers was 700 thousand, increased by 13.7%, 84 thousand from the previous year. The estimated unionization rate was 5.3%, increased by 0.3 points from the previous year.

Report on Employment Business (FY2008)

Friday, December 11, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

The number of new job applicants through private employment agencies totaled 3,061,349, increased by 15.4% from the previous fiscal year. The number of job openings decreased by 2.7% from the previous fiscal year to 3,767,577. The number of placements (regular employ) decreased by 1.7% to 413,623.

Report on Worker Dispatching Business (FY2008)

Friday, December 11 released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

The number of dispatched workers was 3,989,006 (increased 4.6% in the previous fiscal year).

The average pay for a general dispatched worker (in terms of 8-hour work) increased by 18.0% to 11,254 yen and that for a specified dispatched worker increased by 16.0% to 15,082 yen.

TANKAN (Short-Term Economic Survey of Enterprises) (December)

Monday, December 14, released by the Bank of Japan(PDF:187)

The Diffusion Index (DI) (“Favorable”- “Unfavorable”) for business conditions in large enterprises of the manufacturing was -24 (-33 in the previous quarter and forecast -18 in the coming quarter), and the non-manufacturing DI was -22 (-24 in the previous quarter and forecast -19 in the coming quarter).

The Diffusion Index (DI) (“Excessive”- “Insufficient”) for employment conditions in large enterprises of all industries was 15 (18 in the previous quarter and forecast 13 in the coming quarter).

Business Sentiment(For Large Enterprise)

Survey on Wage Increase (2008)

Wednesday, December 24, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

The ratio of enterprises which increased or planned to increase average wages per employee in 2008 was 61.7% (74.0% in the previous year), the ratio of enterprises which decreased or planned to decrease was 12.9% (3.1% in the previous year) and the ratio of enterprises which didn't revise average wages was 21.6% (17.6% in the previous year).

The increased amount of revised average wage (weighted average of regular workers) was 3,083 yen (4,417 yen in the previous year), and average wage revision rate was 1.1% (1.7% in the previous year), and both of them decreased from the previous year.

Special survey of the Monthly Labor Survey (2009)

Tuesday, December 15, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

The average contractual cash earnings (for establishments with less than 5 employees) per person in July 2009 decreased by 3.8% from a year earlier to 185,402 yen.

The special cash earnings from August 1 in 2008 to July 31 in 2009 decreased by 6.2% from a year earlier to 195,387 yen.

The average number of actual working hours per person in July 2009 was 7.1 hours, decreased by 0.1 hours from a year earlier.

The ratio of short-time workers (regular worker whose actual working hours per day was less than 6 hours) was 28.2%, increased by 1.2 points from a year earlier.

Survey on Situation of Preliminary Job Offers for New Senior High School Graduates (End of October, 2009)

Tuesday, December 15, released by the Ministry of Education,
Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

The ratio of final-year senior high school students with preliminary job offers at the end of October, 2009, was 55.2%, a decrease of 11.6 points from the previous year.

By sex, the ratio for men was 59.4%, decreased by 12.4 points from the previous year and that for women was49.6%, decreased by 10.7 points from the previous year.

Survey on Employment Trends in the First Half of 2009

Thursday, December 24, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

The number of newly-employed persons was 4.1 million (3.9 million in the same period of the previous year) while that of job leavers was 4.23 million (3.71 million *).
The hiring rate was 9.3% (8.7% *) and the separation rate was 9.6% (8.2% *). Both of them showed an increase and the separation rate exceeded the hiring rate by 0.3 points.

Looking at hired employees by occupational career, the number of the occupationally experienced was 2.41 million (2.3 million *) and the occupationally inexperienced 1.69 million (1.59 million *). Of the occupationally inexperienced, 880 thousand (850 thousand *) was the new graduates and school leavers and 810 thousand (740 thousand *) was other employees. By type of employment, part-time workers was 1.71 million (1.39 million *) and other employees was 2.39 million (2.51 million *).

Looking at the new graduates and school leavers by type of employment, the number of part-time workers 177 thousand, increased by 81 thousand from the same period of the previous year, and other employees was 706 thousand, decreased by 48 thousand.

Regarding the reasons of job separation, “Personal reasons” was 61.9% (70.5% *), “Expiration of contract” was 16.2% (12.5% *), “Managerial reasons” was 13.4% (8.2% *) and “Mandatory retirement age” was 5.8 % (5.7% *). Comparing with the same period of the previous year, “Managerial reasons” was increased by 5.2 points, “Expiration of contract” was increased by 3.7 points and “Personal reasons” was decreased by 8.6 points.

The number of unfilled vacancies as of end-June 2009 decreased to 254 thousand from 483 thousand in the previous year.

*: in the same period of the previous year

Consumer Price Index (November)

Friday, December 25, released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications

The Consumer Price Index was 99.8, a decrease of 1.9% from the same month the year before, decreased for 10 consecutive months. Omitting Fresh food, the comprehensive index was 99.9, a decrease of 1.7% from the same month the year before, decreased for 9 consecutive months.

And in the ward -areas of Tokyo in December, the former accounted for 99.0, a decrease of 2.3% from the same month the year before. The latter accounted for 99.3, a decrease of 1.9% from the same month the year before.

Family Income and Expenditure Survey (November)

Friday, December 25, released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications

The average monthly income for a worker's household with 2 or more family members was decreased by 0.3% in real terms from the same month a year before.

With regard to the income contributing to increase - decrease rate, contribution of income earned by head of household accounted for -0.47 %, partner's income accounted for 0.48%, other household members' income accounted for -0.20% and non-current income accounted for -0.45%.

Labour Force Survey (November)

Friday, December 25, released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications

Report on Employment Service (November)

Friday, December 25, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

The unemployment rate (seasonally adjusted) was 5.2%, increased by 0.1 points from the previous month. That for men was 5.4%, increased by 0.1 points from the previous month, and that for women was 4.9%, increased by 0.1 points from the previous month.

The number of unemployed persons increased by 750 thousand from a year earlier to 3.31 million.

The number of employees (seasonally adjusted) decreased by 10 thousand from the previous month to 54.53 million.

The ratio of active job openings to applicants (seasonally adjusted) was 0.45, increased by 0.01points from the previous month.

Trend in Unemployment Rate and Ratio of Active Job
Openings to Applicants

Indices of Industrial Production (November)

Monday, December 28, released by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry

The index of industrial production (seasonally adjusted) increased by 2.6% from the previous month.

According to the Survey of Production Forecast in Manufacturing, Production is expected to increase in December and January. The Synthetic judgment is “Industrial Production continues to show an upward movement.”

Monthly Labour Survey (Preliminary Report in November)

Monday, December 28, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

Total amount of cash earnings (for business establishments with 5 or more employees) decreased by 2.8% from a year earlier, and contractual cash earnings decreased by 1.3% from a year earlier.

Scheduled cash earnings decreased by 1.0%, non-scheduled cash earnings decreased by 5.7%, and special cash earnings decreased by 23.2% from a year earlier. Real wage (total) decreased by 0.6% from a year earlier.

Non-scheduled hours worked by manufacturing industry workers at business establishments with 5 or more employees increased by 1.8% from the previous month (seasonally adjusted).

Other Reports

Monthly Economic Report (December)

Tuesday, December 22, released by the Cabinet Office

Although the economy has been picking up, it is short of autonomous factors and remains in a difficult situation such as a high unemployment rate. (The same as the previous month)

• Exports are increasing, mainly to Asia. Industrial production is picking up. (The same as the previous month)
• Corporate profits are decreasing substantially, but the downward pace has become moderate. Business investment is starting to level off, while weak movements are seen recently. (In the previous month, “starting to level off”)
• Although firms' judgment on current business conditions remains in a difficult situation, it continues to show movements of picking up as a whole. However, small and medium-sized enterprises are cautious about the immediate future.((In the previous month, “the pace of pickup for small and medium-sized enterprises is slow.”)
• The employment situation remains severe. (The same as the previous month)
• Private consumption continues to show movements of picking up. (The same as the previous month)
• Recent price developments show that the Japanese economy is in a mild deflationary phase. (The same as the previous month)

Monthly Economic Labour Report (December)

Thursday, December 24, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

In looking at the aspects of labor and economy, the employment situation, remains severe.(The same as the previous month)