Recent Statistical Survey Reports, March 2019

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Statistical Survey Reports

Survey on Public Assistance Recipients (December)

March 6, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

The number of welfare recipients in December was 2,095,756 and the number of households of welfare recipients was 1,638,866.

Indexes of Business Conditions January 2019 (Preliminary Release)

March 7, released by the Cabinet Office

The Coincident Index of Composite Index (CI, revised figures, 2015=100) in January was 97.9, a decrease of 2.7 point. And 3 months backward moving average decreased by for 1.94point, and 7 months backward moving average decreased for 0.73point. So the Assessment of Coincident Index was “Signaling a possible turning point” (In the previous month, “Weakening”).

The Leading Index was 95.9, a decrease of 1.3 point, and the Lagging Index was 103.7, a decrease of 0.1 point.

Survey on Situation of Preliminary Job Offers for New Graduate (Senior and Junior High School) (End of January, 2019)

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

The ratio of final-year senior high school students with preliminary job offers was 94.7%, an increase of 0.4 point from the same period of the previous year.

The ratio of job openings to applicants for final-year senior high school students was 2.74, 0.26 point higher than the same period of the previous year.

The ratio of job openings to applicants for final-year junior high school students was 2.32, 0.43 point higher than the same period of the previous year.

Trend in the percentage of final-year high school students
with official job offer

Monthly Labour Survey (Provisional Report in January)

March 8, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

Total amount of cash earnings increased by 1.2% and contractual cash earnings increased by 0.6% (full-time employees 0.8%, part-time employees -0.7%) from a year earlier.

Special cash earnings increased by 12.7% from a year earlier. Scheduled cash earnings increased by 0.6% and non-scheduled cash earnings decreased by 1.0% from year earlier. Real wage (total cash earnings) increased by 1.1% from a year earlier and real wage (contractual cash earnings) increased by 0.4% from a year earlier.

Non-scheduled hours worked by manufacturing industry workers at business establishments with 5 or more employees decreased by 2.8% from the previous month (seasonally adjusted).

National Accounts (The 2nd Preliminary Estimates Oct.-Dec. 2018)

March 8, released by the Cabinet Office

Real GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth rate (Seasonally Adjusted) at Oct.-Dec.2018 was 0.5% (1.9% on annual basis). Of real GDP growth rate, 0.8% was contributed by domestic demand and -0.3% by external demand.

Compensation of Employees (real) was 0.6% and compensation of Employees (nominal) was 0.7% (changes from the previous quarter (seasonally adjusted)).

Quartely Estimates of GDP: Oct. ~Dec. 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

Family Income and Expenditure Survey (January)

March 8, 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 up 3.6% in real terms from the previous year. The change over the year of wages & salaries was 3.3% in real terms from the previous year (household heads: 3.2% in real terms, spouse of household: 11.2% in real terms).

The average of consumption expenditures for a worker’s household with 2 or more family members was up 1.7% 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.

Survey on Situation of Preliminary Job Offers for New Graduate in Mar.2019 (University, etc.) (February 1, 2019)

March 18, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

The ratio of final-year university students who got an official job offer to applicants was 91.9%, increased by 0.7 point from the same period a year earlier.

Trend in the percentage of final-year university students
with official job offer

Consumer Price Index Japan (February)

March 22, released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications

The consumer price index for Japan in February 2019 was 101.5(2015=100), up 0.2% over the year. All items, less fresh food, the comprehensive index was 101.3, up 0.7% from the previous year. All items, less fresh food and energy, the comprehensive index was 101.2, up 0.4% from the previous year.

Indexes of Business Conditions January 2019 (Revision of the Preliminary Release)

March 22, released by the Cabinet Office

The Coincident Index of Composite Index (CI, revised figures, 2015=100) in January was 98.1, a decrease of 2.5 point. And 3 months backward moving average decreased for 1.87 point, and 7 months backward moving average decreased for 0.70 point. So the Assessment of Coincident Index was “Signaling a possible turning point” (In the previous month, “Weakening”)

The Leading Index was 96.5, a decrease of 1.0 point, and the Lagging Index was 104.8, an increase of 0.8 point.

Survey on Labor Economic Trend (February 2019)

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

By the judgment of employment surplus or shortage DI as of February 1, 2019, regarding the trend of the sense of employment surplus or shortage, in the total of industries surveyed, regular staff, etc. accounted for 45 and the DI shows shortage for 31 consecutive terms. And, that of part-time workers accounted for 31 and the DI shows shortage for 38 consecutive terms.

Survey on Supply and Demand of Construction Labor

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

Indices of Industrial Production (February)

March 29, released by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry

The index of industrial production (seasonally adjusted, 2015=100) increased by 1.4% from the previous month. According to the Survey of Production Forecast in Manufacturing, Production is expected to increase in March and April.

Labour Force Survey (February)

March 29, released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications

The unemployment rate (seasonally adjusted) was 2.3%, decreased by 0.2 point from the previous month. That for men was 2.5%, unchanged, and that for women was 2.2%, decreased by 0.3 point from the previous month.

The number of unemployed persons (seasonally adjusted) was 1.60million, decreased by 120 thousand from the previous month.

The number of employees was 59.62 million, increased by 870 thousand from the previous year.

Among them, the number of regular employee was 34.86 million, increased by 560 thousand from the previous year and the number of non-regular employee was 21.57million, increased by 370 thousand from the previous year.

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

Employment Referrals for General Workers (February)

March 29, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

Active job openings-to-applicants ratio (seasonally adjusted) was 1.63, unchanged from the previous month.

The number of monthly active job openings (person(s)) (seasonally adjusted) was decreased by 0.2% from the previous month and the number of monthly active applications (person(s)) (seasonally adjusted) was decreased by 0.4% from the previous month.

New job openings-to-applicants ratio (seasonally adjusted) was 2.50, increased by 0.02 point from the previous month.

Active job openings-to-applicants ratio for regular staff (seasonally adjusted) was 1.15, increased by 0.01 point from the previous month.

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

March 29, released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications

The consumer price index for Ku-area of Tokyo in March 2019(preliminary) was 101.4(2015=100), up 0.9% from the previous year. All items, less fresh food, the comprehensive index was 101.3, up 1.1% from the previous year. All items, less fresh food and energy, the comprehensive index was 101.4, up 0.7% from the previous year.

Basic Survey on Human Resource Development (FY2018)

March 29, released by Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

Basic Survey on Wage Structure (2018)

March 29, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

The average scheduled cash earning for general employees was 306,200yen (an increase of 0.6% from the previous year), that for men was 337,600yen (an increase of 0.6% from the previous year) and that for women was 247,500yen (an increase of 0.6% from the previous year).

Hourly wages of part-time employees was 1,128yen (an increase of 2.9% from the previous year), that for men was 1,189yen (an increase of 3.0% from the previous year), that for women was 1,105yen (an increase of 2.9% from the previous year).

Other Reports

Monthly Economic Report (March)

March 20, released by the Cabinet Office

The Japanese economy is recovering at a moderate pace while weakness is seen recently in exports and industrial production in some sectors. (In the previous month, “The Japanese economy is recovering at a moderate pace.”)

• Private consumption is in picking up. (The same as the previous month)
• Business investment is increasing. (The same as the previous month)
• Exports are in a weak tone. (The same as the previous month)
• Industrial production is almost flat and weakness is seen in some sectors. (In the previous month, “Industrial production is increasing moderately, while weakness can be seen in some areas.”)
• Corporate profits improvement appears to be pausing, although they remain at a high level. 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 flat. (The same as the previous month)