Recent Statistical Survey Reports, October 2009

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Statistical Survey Reports

Indexes of Business Conditions (Preliminary Report for August)

Wednesday, October 7, released by the Cabinet Office

The Coincident Index of Composite Index (CI, preliminary figures, 2005=100) in August was 91.4, an increase of 1.6 points, 3 months backward moving average increased for 4 consecutive months, an increase of 1.33 points, and 7 months backward moving average increased for the first time in 18 months, an increase of 0.49 points. So the Assessment of Coincident Index was "Halting to fall". The Leading Index was 83.3, an increase of 0.8 points, and the Lagging Index was 83.8, an increase of 1.0 points.

Report on Employment Situations of Elderly Persons

Tuesday, October 20, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

95.6% of the companies with 31 or more employees implemented employment securing measures for elderly persons (*).

The ratio of the companies whose employees can work up to they become 65 years old or longer if they hope was 44.6%.

The ratio of the companies whose employees can continue to work up to 70 years old was 16.3%.

(*)Any of the following measures for securing stable employment until 65 years old: “abolition of retirement age system”; “raising retirement age” and “introduction of continued employment system”

The relative poverty rate

Tuesday, October 20, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

The relative poverty rate (*) based on Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions was 15.7% in the survey in 2007 (14.9% in the last survey in 2004).

And the relative poverty rate of children was 14.2% (13.7% in the last survey in 2004).

(*)(1)The relative poverty rate is defined as the share of household membership with equivalent disposable income (that is adjusted amount of income obtained by dividing household disposable income by the square root of all household members) less than 50% of the median for the entire population.

(2)The relative poverty rate of children is the ratio of children 17 years old or younger who doesn't come up to 50% of the median.

Indices of Industrial Production (September)

Thursday, October 29, released by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry

The index of industrial production (seasonally adjusted) increased by 1.4% from the previous month.

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

Consumer Price Index (September)

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

The Consumer Price Index was 100.4, a decrease of 2.2% from the same month the year before, decreased for 8 consecutive months. Omitting Fresh food, the comprehensive index was 100.2, a decrease of 2.3% from the same month the year before, decreased for 7 consecutive months.

And in the ward -areas of Tokyo in October, the former accounted for 99.4, a decrease of 2.4% from the same month the year before. The latter accounted for 99.6, a decrease of 2.2% from the same month the year before.

Family Income and Expenditure Survey (September)

Friday, October 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 decreased by 0.1% 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 0.41 %, partners' income accounted for 0.09%, other household members' income accounted for -0.59 and non-current income accounted for 0.23%.

Labour Force Survey (September)

Friday, October 30, released by the Ministry of Interal Affairs and Communications

Report on Employment Service (September)

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

The unemployment rate (seasonally adjusted) was 5.3%, decreased by 0.2 points from the previous month. That for men was 5.6%, decreased by 0.2 points from the previous month, and that for women was 4.9%, decreased by 0.1 points from the previous month.

The number of unemployed persons increased by 920 thousand from a year earlier to 3.63 million.

The number of employees (seasonally adjusted) increased by 70 thousand from the previous month to 54.66 million.

The ratio of active job openings to applicants (seasonally adjusted) was 0.4, increased by 0.01points from the previous month.

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

Report on Employment Stopping Situations of Non-Regular-Staffs

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

The grasped number of business establishments which had already implemented or had a plan to implement some employment adjustments from October 2008 to December 2009, was 4,262 across the country, and that of applied workers accounted for 244,308, as of October 21, 2009. Such employment adjustments were implemented by means of 1) termination of dispatch and outsource contract, 2) midterm cancellation of contract, 3) termination of non-regular workers' fix-term contract, 4) dismissal.

The ratio of workers by type of employment was “dispatched worker” (58.6%), “contract worker (including fixed-term worker, etc.)” (22.8%) and “outsourced worker” (7.8%).

Monthly Labour Survey (Preliminary Report in September, Summer Bonus in 2009)

Monday, November 2, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

Total amount of cash earnings (for business establishments with 5 or more employees) decreased by 1.6% from a year earlier, and contractual cash earnings decreased by 1.9% from a year earlier.

Scheduled cash earnings decreased by 1.1%, non-scheduled cash earnings decreased by 12.5%, and special cash earnings increased by 17.4% from a year earlier. Real wage (total) increased by 0.9% from a year earlier.

Non-scheduled hours worked by manufacturing industry workers at business establishments with 5 or more employees increased by 4.1% from the previous month (seasonally adjusted).

The average amount of summer bonus in 2009 (for business establishments with 5 or more employees) was 363,104 yen, a decreased of 9.7% from the previous year. And the ratio of business establishments that paid summer bonus to their employees was 66.4%, decreased by 3.8 points from a year earlier.

Other Reports

Monthly Economic Report (October)

Friday, October 16, 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. (In the previous month, “The economy is showing movements of picking up recently while in a difficult situation such as a rise in the unemployment rate to an all-time high”.)

• Exports are increasing, mainly to Asia. Industrial production is picking up. (In the previous month, “Exports and Industrial production are picking up.”)
• Corporate profits are decreasing substantially, but the downward pace has become moderate. Business investment is decreasing. (The same as 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. However, the pace of pickup for small and medium-sized enterprises is slow. (An item newly set)
• The employment situation, remaining on the worsening trend, is extremely severe. (In the previous month, “The employment situation is becoming increasingly severe.”)
• Private consumption continues to show movements of picking up. (In the previous month, “Private consumption is showing movements of picking up recently.”)

Monthly Economic Labour Report (October)

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

In looking at the aspects of labor and economy, the employment situation, remaining on the worsening trend, is extremely severe. (In the previous month, “The employment situation is becoming increasingly severe.”)