Recent Statistical Survey Reports, March 2007

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Statistical Survey Reports

Indexes of Business Conditions (Preliminary Report for January)

Wednesday, March 7, released by the Cabinet Office

The Leading Index was 35.0%, the Coincident Index was 55.6%, and the Lagging Index was 75.0%.

4th-round Follow - up Survey on Adults in the 21st Century (Continuous Survey on the livelihoods of the Japanese citizens)

Wednesday, March 7, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

56.4%of working women who got married in the past 3 years continued the same job as the one they did before their marriage.

62.4% of regular employees and 45.5% of non- regular employees continued the same work as the one they did before their marriage. The higher the age bracket increased the respondent rate of “Continued the same job”.

General Survey on Wage Situation in 2006 (Preliminary Report)

March, released by Central Labour Relations Commission

The wage increase (salary raise and annual wage increase) from July 2005 to June 2006 was 6,275 yen per parson, it increased by 1.89% from the previous year. It increased 280 yen and 0.10 points compared with the previous year.

National Accounts (The Second Preliminary Estimates of Expenditure in Oct. - Dec.)

Thursday, March12, released by the Cabinet Office

Real GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth rate (Seasonally Adjusted) increased by 1.3% (5.5% on annual basis) from the previous quarters.

Of real GDP growth rate, 1.2% was contributed by domestic demand and 0.1% by external demand.

Report on Situation of Foreign Employees (June 2006)

Monday, March 12, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

The number of business establishments directly hired foreign employees was 27,323. The number of foreign employees was 222,929 people.

By sex, the employment ratio was 53.5% for men and 46.5% for women.

By home country of the employees, “East Asia” accounted for the highest 45.0%, followed by “Latin America”(29.1%) and “Southeast Asia”(14.5%). Of those who responded “Latin America”, “The Japanese ancestry” totaled 90.6%.

Survey on Situation of Official Job Offer for New Graduate in Mar.2007 (Senior and Junior High School) (End of January)

Tuesday, March 13, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

The ratio of active job openings to applicants for final-year senior high school students was 1.70, increased by 0.20 points from a year earlier. The number of final-year senior high school students with official job offer was 169 thousand, increased by 4.7% from a year earlier. The ratio of applicants who got job offer was 88.1%, increased by 2.8points.

The ratio of active job openings to applicants for final-year junior high school students was 1.11, increased by 0.25 points from a year earlier.

Survey on Situation of Official Job Offer for New Graduate in Mar.2007 (University, etc.) (February 1)

Tuesday, March 13, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare,
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

The ratio of final-year university students with official job offer was 87.7%, increased by 1.9 points from a year earlier.

That of final-year junior college students (female only) was 70.6%, increased by 1.6 points from a year earlier.

That of final-year technology college students (male only) was 98.4%, increased by 4.7 points from a year earlier.

That of final-year higher vocational school students was 83.3%, increased by 7.1 points from a year earlier.

Business Outlook Survey (January - March,2007)

Thursday, March 22, released by the Cabinet Office, Ministry of Finance

Difference of Employment BSI (“insufficient” - “excessive”) inclines toward “insufficient” in large-scale, medium-sized, and small-to-medium-sized corporations.

Basic Survey on Wage Structure (2006)

Wednesday, March 28, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

The average scheduled cash earnings for general employees was 301,800 yen, decreased by 0.1% from the previous year. That for men was 337,700 yen (decreased by 0.0% from the previous year), and that for women was 222,600 yen (increased by 0.0%).

Hourly wages of part-time employee for men was 1,057 yen, that for women was 940 yen.

Labour Force Survey (February)

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

Report on Employment Service (February)

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

The unemployment rate (seasonally adjusted) was 4.0%, unchanged from the previous month. That for men was 4.0%, decreased by 0.1 points from the previous month, that for women was 4.0%, increased by 0.2 points from the previous month.

The number of unemployed persons decreased by 70 thousand from a year earlier to 2.70 million.

The number of employees (seasonally adjusted) increased by 390 thousand people from a year earlier.

The ratio of active job openings to applicants (seasonally adjusted) was 1.05, decreased by 0.01 points from the previous month.

Income and Expenditure Survey (February)

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

The average monthly income for workers’ household increased by 2.3% in real values from the same month the year before.

Consumer Price Index (February)

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

The Consumer Price Index was 99.5, a decrease of 0.2% from a year earlier. Omitting Fresh food, it was 99.4, a decrease of 0.1% from a year earlier. And in the Ward –areas of Tokyo in March, it was 99.8, unchanged from a year earlier. Omitting Fresh food, it was 99.7, a decrease of 0.1% from a year earlier.

The Consumer price index of Ward-areas in Tokyo in 2006 was 100.2, an increase of 0.3% from a year earlier. Omitting Fresh food, it was 100.0, unchanged from a year earlier.

Monthly Labour Survey (Preliminary Report in February)

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

Total amount of cash earnings (for business establishments with 5 or more employees) decreased by 0.7% from a year earlier, and scheduled cash earnings decreased by 0.4% from a year earlier.

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

The amount of year-end bonus was 433,825 yen, increased by 0.1% from the previous year.

Indices of Industrial Production (February)

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

The index of industrial production (seasonally adjusted) decreased by 0.2 % from the previous month. This index decreased for this two months.

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

Monday, April 2, released by the Bank of Japan(PDF:168KB)

The Diffusion Index (DI)(“Favorable”- “Unfavorable”) for business sentiment in large enterprises was 23(25 in the previous quarter and forecast 20 in the coming quarter). For non-manufacturing DI was 22(22 in the previous quarter and forecast 23 in the coming quarter).

The Diffusion Index (DI) (“Excessive”- “Insufficient”) for employment sentiment in large enterprises of all industries was -13 (-11 in the previous quarter and forecast -14 in the coming quarter).

Other Reports

Monthly Economic Report (March)

Thursday, March 15, released by the Cabinet Office

The economy is recovering, despite some weakness in consumption.

• Corporate profits are improving and business investment is increasing.
• The employment situation is improving on a broader basis, though some severe aspects remain.
• Private consumption is almost flat.
• Exports are leveling off and industrial production is increasing moderately.

Monthly Economic Labour Report (March)

Thursday, March 22, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

In looking at the aspects of labor and economy, the employment situation shows an expansion of improvement though some severe aspects remain. For example, the unemployment rate is declining, though still remains at a high level.

2005 - 2006 Foreign Affairs Report

Thursday, March 22, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare