Recent Statistical Survey Reports, December 2018

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Statistical Survey Reports

Survey on Public Assistance Recipients (September)

December 5, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

The number of welfare recipients in September was 2,094,450 and the number of households of welfare recipients was 1,636,239.

Monthly Labour Survey (Provisional Report in October)

December 7, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

Total amount of cash earnings increased by 1.5% and contractual cash earnings increased by 1.4% (full-time employees 1.4%, part-time employees 1.7%) from a year earlier.

Special cash earnings increased by 6.8% from a year earlier. Scheduled cash earnings increased by 1.3% and non-scheduled cash earnings increased by 1.9% from year earlier. Real wage (total cash earnings) decreased by 0.1% from a year earlier and real wage (contractual cash earnings) decreased by 0.3% from a year earlier.

Non-scheduled hours worked by manufacturing industry workers at business establishments with 5 or more employees increased by 1.9% from the previous month (seasonally adjusted).

Family Income and Expenditure Survey (October)

December 7, released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications

The average monthly income for a worker’s households with 2 or more family members was down 2.9% in real terms from the previous year. The change over the year of wages & salaries was -3.7% in real terms from the previous year (household heads: -4.2% in real terms, spouse of household: 1.1% in real terms).

The average of consumption expenditures for a worker’s household with 2 or more family members was down 2.9% in real terms from the previous year.

Revised forms of account books have been introduced to half of the sample households on January 2018, therefore results including "Change over the year" and "Contribution" in data tables might have gaps from the figures by the previous survey schedules.
To resolve this discontinuity, "discontinuity-adjusted figures" are calculated by "Inverse-Probability-Weighting" using "propensity score", for valid comparison with results of previous years.

Indexes of Business Conditions October 2018 (Preliminary Release)

December 7, released by the Cabinet Office

The Coincident Index of Composite Index (CI, revised figures, 2015=100) in October was 104.5, an increase of 2.9 point. And 3 months backward moving average increased by for 0.66point, and 7 months backward moving average increased for 0.23point. So the Assessment of Coincident Index was “Weakening” (The same as the previous month).

The Leading Index was 100.5, an increase of 0.9 point, and the Lagging Index was 103.2, a decrease of 0.5 point.

National Accounts (The 2nd Preliminary Estimates Jul.-Sep. 2018)

December 10, released by the Cabinet Office

Real GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth rate (Seasonally Adjusted) at Jul.-Sep.2018 was -0.6% (-2.5% on annual basis). Of real GDP growth rate, -0.5% was contributed by domestic demand and -0.1% by external demand. Compensation of Employees (real) was -0.4% and compensation of Employees (nominal) was 0.1% (changes from the previous quarter (seasonally adjusted)).

Quartely Estimates of GDP: Jul. ~Sep. 2018 (The 2nd Preliminary Estimates)
Growth rate of GDP from the previous Quarters(seasonally adjusted)
Contributions of Domestic Demand and External Demand to Changes in GDP

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

December 14, released by the Bank of Japan(PDF:541KB)

The Diffusion Index (DI) (“Favorable”- “Unfavorable”) for business conditions in large enterprises of all industries was 21%point (21 in the previous quarter and forecast 18 in the coming quarter), the manufacturing was 19%point and the non-manufacturing was 24%point.

The Diffusion Index (DI) (“Excessive”- “Insufficient”) for employment conditions in large enterprises of all industries was -23% point (-23 in the previous quarter and forecast -24 in the coming quarter), the manufacturing was -19%point and the non-manufacturing was -29%point.

Business Conditions(Diffusion index of "Favorable" minus
"Unfavorable,For Large Enterprise)

Survey on Situation of Preliminary Job Offers for New Senior High School Graduates (End of October, 2018)

December 14, 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, 2018, was 78.2%, an increase of 1.0 point from the previous year.

Survey on Labor Economic Trend (November 2018)

December 18, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

By the judgment of employment surplus or shortage DI as of November 1, 2018, regarding the trend of the sense of employment surplus or shortage, in the total of industries surveyed, regular staff, etc. accounted for 43 and the DI shows shortage for 30 consecutive terms. And, that of part-time workers accounted for 32 and the DI shows shortage for 37 consecutive terms.

Basic Survey on Labour Unions (2018)

December 19, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

The number of labour union members as of June 30, 2018 was 10.07 million, increased by 88 thousand (0.9%) from the previous year.

The estimated unionization rate was 17.0%, decreased by 0.1 point from the previous year.

The number of labour union members of women was 3.357milliom, increased by 90 thousand (2.7%) from the previous year.

The number of labour union members of part-time workers was 1.296 million, increased by89 thousand (7.3%) from the previous year.

Monthly Labour Survey Special Survey (2018)

December 20, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

The average payment for one employee of contractual cash earnings (for business establishments with 1-4 regular employees) in July 2018 was 195,476 yen, a decrease of 0.5 % from a year earlier.

That of special cash earnings was 235,684 yen, an increase of 3.6 % from a year earlier.

Consumer Price Index Japan (November)

December 21, released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications

The consumer price index for Japan in November 2018 was 101.8(2015=100), up 0.8% over the year. All items, less fresh food, the comprehensive index was 101.6, up 0.9% from the previous year. All items, less fresh food and energy, the comprehensive index was 101.3, up 0.3% from the previous year.

Monthly Labour Survey (Final Report in October)

December 21, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

Total amount of cash earnings increased by 1.5% and contractual cash earnings increased by 1.5% (full-time employees 1.7%, part-time employees 2.1%) from a year earlier.

Special cash earnings increased by 2.4% from a year earlier. Scheduled cash earnings increased by 1.5% and non-scheduled cash earnings increased by 1.7%. Real wage (total cash earnings) decreased by 0.1% from a year earlier and real wage (contractual cash earnings) decreased by 0.2% from a year earlier.

Non-scheduled hours worked by manufacturing industry workers at business establishments with 5 or more employees increased by 2.5% from the previous month (seasonally adjusted).

Indexes of Business Conditions October 2018 (Revision of the Preliminary Release)

December 25, released by the Cabinet Office

The Coincident Index of Composite Index (CI, revised figures, 2015=100) in October was 104.9, an increase of 3.3 point. And 3 months backward moving average increased for 0.80 point, and 7 months backward moving average increased for 0.29 point. So the Assessment of Coincident Index was “Weakening” (The same as the previous month)

The Leading Index was 99.6, unchanged, and the Lagging Index was 103.6, a decrease of 0.2 point.

Survey on Supply and Demand of Construction Labor

December 25, released by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

Survey on Employment Trends in the First Half of 2018

December 26, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

The hiring rate was 9.2% and the separation rate was 8.6%.

Labour Force Survey (November)

December 28, released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications

The unemployment rate (seasonally adjusted) was 2.5%, increased by 0.1 point from the previous month. That for men was 2.7%, unchanged and that for women was 2.3%, increased by 0.1 point from the previous month.

The number of unemployed persons (seasonally adjusted) was 1.73million, increased by 50 thousand from the previous month.

The number of employees was 59.83 million, increased by 1.18 million from the previous year.

Among them, the number of regular employee was 35.19 million, increased by 630 thousand from the previous year and the number of non-regular employee was 21.42 million, increased by 810 thousand from the previous year.

Employment Referrals for General Workers (November)

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

Active job openings-to-applicants ratio (seasonally adjusted) was 1.63, increased by 0.01point from the previous month.

The number of monthly active job openings (person(s)) (seasonally adjusted) was increased by 1.0% from the previous month and the number of monthly active applications (person(s)) (seasonally adjusted) was increased by 0.4% from the previous month.

New job openings-to-applicants ratio (seasonally adjusted) was 2.40, unchanged from the previous month.

Active job openings-to-applicants ratio for regular staff (seasonally adjusted) was 1.13, unchanged from the previous month.

Trend in Unemployment Rate and Ratio of Active Job
Openings to Applicants (seasonally adjusted)

Indices of Industrial Production (November)

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

The index of industrial production (seasonally adjusted, 2015=100) decreased by 1.1% from the previous month. According to the Survey of Production Forecast in Manufacturing, Production is expected to increase in December and decrease in January.

Consumer Price Index Ku-area of Tokyo (December) (preliminary)

December 28, released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications

The consumer price index for Ku-area of Tokyo in December 2018(preliminary) was 101.2(2015=100), up 0.3% from the previous year. All items, less fresh food, the comprehensive index was 101.2, up 0.9% from the previous year. All items, less fresh food and energy, the comprehensive index was 101.4, up 0.6% from the previous year.

Other Reports

Monthly Economic Report (December)

December 20, released by the Cabinet Office

The Japanese economy is recovering at a moderate pace. (The same as the previous month)

• Private consumption is in picking up. (The same as the previous month)
• Business investment is increasing. (The same as the previous month)
• Exports are almost flat. (The same as the previous month)
• Industrial production is increasing moderately. (The same as the previous month)
• Corporate profits is improving. Firms' judgment on current business conditions is almost flat. (The same as the previous month)
• The employment situation is improving steadily. (The same as the previous month)
• Consumer prices are rising at a slower tempo recently. (The same as the previous month)