Recent Statistical Survey Reports, April 2010

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Statistical Survey Reports

Indexes of Business Conditions (Preliminary Report for February)

Tuesday, April 6, released by the Cabinet Office

The Coincident Index of Composite Index (CI, preliminary figures, 2005=100) in February was 100.7, an increase of 0.4 points, for 11 consecutive months. And 3 months backward moving average increased for 10 consecutive months, an increase of 1.56 points, and 7 months backward moving average increased for 7 consecutive months, an increase of 1.56 points. So the Assessment of Coincident Index was "Improving" again. The Leading Index was 97.9, an increase of 1.0 points, and the Lagging Index was 85.4, an increase of 0.5 points.

Survey on Corporate Successive Holidays Plan in “Golden-Week” (*)

Thursday, April 15

The average number of successive days of holidays provided by companies during the “Golden-Week” of this year was 5.4 (5.7days, the result of the previous year), while the average number of total holidays provided by companies during the “Golden-Week” was 5.4 (5.8 days, the results of the previous year).

(*)National Federation of Labour Standards Associations conducted the survey, entrusted by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

Survey on Industrial Accidents (2009)

Monday, April 26, released by Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

The frequency rate of industrial accidents was 1.62 (1.75 in the previous year), and the severity rate was 0.09 (0.10 in the previous year).

Note:“The frequency rate” can be defined as the number of casualties of industrial accidents per one million man-hours actually worked.
“The severity rate” can be defined as the number of days lost per one thousand man-hours actually worked.

Monthly Survey on Service Industries (Preliminary Report in February)

Wednesday, April 28, released by the Ministry
of Internal Affairs and Communications (PDF:149KB)

The monthly sales amount of service industry in February 2010 was 20.8 trillion yen, a decrease of 6.1 % from the same month the year before. The total number of persons employed in the industry was 25.88 million, a decrease of 0.1% from the same month the year before. Among the service industry, the monthly sales amount of employment placement and worker dispatching business was 264.845 billion yen, a decrease of 21.5% from the same month the year before, and the number of persons employed totaled 226 thousand, a decrease of 14.8% from the same month the year before.

Consumer Price Index (March and FY2009)

Friday, April 30, released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications

The Consumer Price Index was 99.6, a decrease of 1.1% from the same month the year before, decreased for 14 consecutive months. Omitting Fresh food, the comprehensive index was 99.5, a decrease of 1.2% from the same month the year before, decreased for 13 consecutive months.

The Consumer Price Index in FY2009 was 100.0, a decrease of 1.7% from a previous fiscal year.

And in the ward -areas of Tokyo in April, the former accounted for 99.2, a decrease of 1.5% from the same month the year before. The latter accounted for 98.8, a decrease of 1.9% from the same month the year before.

Indices of Industrial Production (March)

Friday, April 30, released by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry

The index of industrial production (seasonally adjusted) increased by 0.3% from the previous month.

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

Family Income and Expenditure Survey (March)

Friday, April 30, 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 increased by 0.4% 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 0.25 %, partner's income accounted for 0.78%, other household members' income accounted for -0.16% and non-current income accounted for -0.61%.

Labour Force Survey (March and FY2009)

Friday, April 30, released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications

Report on Employment Service (March and FY2009)

Friday, April 30, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

The unemployment rate (seasonally adjusted) was 5.0%, increased by 0.1 point from the previous month. That for men was 5.6%, increased by 0.4 point from the previous month, and that for women was 4.3%, decreased by 0.1 points from the previous month.

The number of unemployed persons increased by 150 thousand from a year earlier to 3.50 million.

The number of employees (seasonally adjusted) increased by 110 thousand from the previous month to 54.85 million.

The unemployment rate in FY2009 increased by 1.1points from the previous fiscal year to 5.2%, and this increase was a record high.

The ratio of active job openings to applicants (seasonally adjusted) was 0.49, increased by 0.02points from the previous month.

The ratio of active job openings to applicants in FY2009 was 0.45, decreased by 0.32 points from the previous fiscal year.

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

Monthly Labour Survey (Preliminary Report in March)

Friday, April 30, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

Total amount of cash earnings (for business establishments with 5 or more employees) increased by 0.8% from a year earlier, and contractual cash earnings increased by 0.5% from a year earlier.
Scheduled cash earnings decreased by 0.2% and non-scheduled cash earnings increased by 11.7% from a year earlier. Real wage (total) increased by 2.1% from a year earlier.

Non-scheduled hours worked by manufacturing industry workers at business establishments with 5 or more employees increased by 0.8% from the previous month (seasonally adjusted).

Other Reports

Actual Situation of Working Women in 2009

Friday, April 9, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

The number of women labor force in 2009 increased by 90 thousand from the previous year to 27.71 million for the first time in 2 years, showing a record high.

As for the number of employees under this recession (14th business cycle, November 2007 (provisional)), that for men was 97.4 (the number of peak = 100, June, August and September 2009), decreased substantially from the last two recessions. While that for women of this recession almost unchanged as well as the last two recessions such as a just increase to 101.9 in September 2009.

By industries, the number of men and women decreased in “Manufacturing” and increased in “Medical, healthcare and welfare”. And the difference of that for women in “Medical, healthcare and welfare” from the previous year increase substantially such as an increase of 310 thousand in July- September 2009. It was the main cause to increase the number of employees for women.

Monthly Economic Report (April)

Friday, April 16, released by the Cabinet Office

Although the economy has been picking up steadily, it is only weakly self-sustaining and remains in a difficult situation such as a high unemployment rate. (The same as the previous month)

• Exports are increasing moderately. Industrial production is picking up. (The same as the previous month)
• Corporate profits are improving. Business investment is starting to level off. (The same as the previous month)
• Firms' judgment on current business conditions is improving. However, small and medium-sized enterprises are cautious about the immediate future. (In the previous month, “Although firms' judgment on current business conditions remains in a difficult situation, it continues to show movements of picking up as a whole.”)
• While the employment situation remains severe, movements of an incipient recovery can be seen recently. (The same as the previous month)
• Private consumption is 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 (April)

Monday, April 19, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

In looking at the aspects of labor and economy, while the employment situation remains severe, movements of an incipient recovery can be seen recently. (The same as the previous month)