Recent Statistical Survey Reports, May 2026

May 2026(PDF:365KB)

Statistical Survey Reports

Monthly Labour Survey (Provisional Report in March)

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

Total amount of cash earnings increased by 2.7% (full-time employees increased by 3.3%, part-time employees increased by 1.4%) from a year earlier and contractual cash earnings increased by 3.0% (full-time employees increased by 3.7%, part-time employees increased by 1.9%) from a year earlier.

Special cash earnings decreased by 1.5% from a year earlier. Scheduled cash earnings increased by 3.2% and non-scheduled cash earnings increased by 1.9% from a year earlier. Real wage (total cash earnings) (deflated by CPI (all items less imputed rent)) increased by 1.0%, real wage (total cash earnings) (deflated by CPI (all items)) increased by 1.3% and real wage (contractual cash earnings) (deflated by CPI (all items less imputed rent)) increased by1.4% from a year earlier.

Total hours unchanged from a year earlier, scheduled hours worked increased by 0.2% and non-scheduled hours worked decreased by 3.0% from a year earlier.

Non-scheduled hours worked by manufacturing industry workers decreased by 2.4% from the previous month (seasonally adjusted).

May 22 Monthly Labour Survey (Final Report in March)

Family Income and Expenditure Survey (March)

May 12, 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 4.7% in real terms from the previous year. The change over the year of wages & salaries was up 3.4% in real terms from the previous year (household heads: 2.9% in real terms, spouse of household: 5.7% in real terms).

The average of consumption expenditures for a worker’s household with 2 or more family members was down 3.6% in real terms from the previous year.

Indexes of Business Conditions March 2026 (Preliminary Release)

May 12, released by the Cabinet Office

The Coincident Index of Composite Index (CI, preliminary figures, 2020=100) in March was 116.5, increased by 0.3 point from the previous month. And 3 months backward moving average was increased by 0.70 point, and 7 months backward moving average was increased by 0.37 point. So, the Assessment of Coincident Index was “Signaling a possible turning point” (In the previous month, “Halting to fall”)

The Leading Index was 114.5, an increase of 1.3 point, and the Lagging Index was 113.4, an increase of 0.5 point from the previous month.

May 26 Indexes of Business Conditions March 2026 (Revision of the Preliminary Release)

The 15th Longitudinal Survey of Newborns in the 21st Century (2010 Cohort)

May 12, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

The percentage of mothers with work reached 85.1% in the 15th survey (junior high school 9th grader), 4.3point higher as compared to the 15th survey of the 2001 cohort.

Survey on Public Assistance Recipients (February)

May 13, released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare

The number of welfare recipients in February was 1,977,156 and the number of households of welfare recipients was 1,641,614.

Labor Force Survey: Detailed Tabulation (Jan.-Mar. 2026)

May 15, released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications

Of the total 58.16 million employee (excl. executive of company or corporation) (average, in the Jan. - Mar. 2026), the number of the regular employees was 36.68 million, increased by 380 thousand from the previous year and the number of non-regular employees was 21.47 million, decreased by 160 thousand from the previous year.

National Accounts (The 1st Preliminary Estimates Jan.-Mar.2026)

May 19, released by the Cabinet Office

Real GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth rate (Seasonally Adjusted) at Jan.-Mar.2026 was 0.5% (2.1% on annual basis). Of real GDP growth rate, 0.2%pt was contributed by domestic demand and 0.3%pt by external demand.

Nominal GDP growth rate (Seasonally Adjusted) at Jan.-Mar.2026 was 0.8% (3.4% on annual basis).

Compensation of Employees (real) was 0.2% (uses consumption of households (excluding imputed rent and FISIM) deflator) and 0.2% (uses consumption of households deflator) (changes from the previous quarter (seasonally adjusted)). Compensation of Employees (nominal) was 0.6% (changes from the previous quarter (seasonally adjusted)).

Quartely Estimates of GDP: Jan.~Mar.2026 (The 1st Preliminary Estimates)
Growth rate of GDP from the previous Quarters(seasonally adjusted) Contributions of Domestic Demand and External Demand to Changes in GDP

Indices of Industrial Production (Revised Report for March 2026)

May 19, released by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry

The index of industrial production (seasonally adjusted, 2020=100) was 102.0, decreased by 0.4% from the previous month.

Monthly Labour Survey (Final Report in March and 2025FY)

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

Total amount of cash earnings increased by 3.1% (full-time employees increased by 3.6%, part-time employees increased by 2.0%) from a year earlier and contractual cash earnings increased by 3.3% (full-time employees increased by 3.9%, part-time employees increased by 2.4%) from a year earlier.

Special cash earnings decreased by 0.7 % from a year earlier. Scheduled cash earnings increased by 3.4% and non-scheduled cash earnings increased by 3.1% from a year earlier. Real wage (total cash earnings) (deflated by CPI (all items less imputed rent)) increased by 1.4%, real wage (total cash earnings) (deflated by CPI (all items)) increased by 1.6% and real wage (contractual cash earnings) (deflated by CPI (all items less imputed rent)) increased by 1.7% from a year earlier.

Total hours increased by 0.5%, scheduled hours worked increased by 0.6% and non-scheduled hours worked decreased by 1.0% from a year earlier.

Non-scheduled hours worked by manufacturing industry workers increased by 1.2% from the previous month (seasonally adjusted).

Total amount of cash earnings in FY 2025 increased by 2.5% (full-time employees increased by 2.9%, part-time employees increased by 2.1%) and contractual cash earnings increased by 2.3% (full-time employees increased by 2.7%, part-time employees increased by 2.2%) from a year earlier.

Special cash earnings increased by 3.0% from a year earlier. Scheduled cash earnings increased by 2.4% and non-scheduled cash earnings increased by 1.8%. Real wage (total cash earnings) (deflated by CPI (all items less imputed rent)) decreased by 0.5%, real wage (total cash earnings) (deflated by CPI (all items)) decreased by 0.1% and real wage (contractual cash earnings) (deflated by CPI (all items less imputed rent)) decreased by 0.6% from a year earlier.

Total hours decreased by 1.0%, scheduled hours worked decreased by 0.9% and non-scheduled hours worked decreased by 2.1% from a year earlier.

Consumer Price Index Japan (April and 2025FY)

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

The consumer price index for Japan in April 2026 was 113.0 (2020=100), up 1.4% over the year. All items, less fresh food, the comprehensive index was 112.5, up 1.4% from the previous year. All items less imputed rent was 115.3 up 1.5% from the previous year. All items, less fresh food and energy, the comprehensive index was 111.8, up 1.9% from the previous year.

Survey on Situation of Preliminary Job Offers for New Graduate in Mar.2026 (University, etc.) (April 1, 2026)

May 22, 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 98.0%, unchanged from the same period a year earlier.

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

Survey on Situation of Preliminary Job Offers for New Senior High School Graduates (End of March 2026)

May 22, 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 March 2026, was 97.9%.

Survey on Supply and Demand of Construction Labor

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

Indexes of Business Conditions March 2026 (Revised Release)

May 26, released by the Cabinet Office

The Coincident Index of Composite Index (CI, revised figures, 2020=100) in March was 116.4, increased by 0.2 point. And 3 months backward moving average increased by 0.66 point, and 7 months backward moving average increased by 0.36 point. So, the Assessment of Coincident Index was “Signaling a possible turning point” (The same as Preliminary Release.)

The Leading Index was 114.0, an increase of 0.8 point and the Lagging Index was 112.4, a decrease of 0.2 point.

Labour Force Survey (April)

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

The unemployment rate (seasonally adjusted) was 2.5%, decreased by 0.2 point from the previous month. That for men was 2.7%, decreased by 0.2 point from the previous month and that for women was 2.3%, decreased by 0.1 point from the previous month. The number of unemployed persons (seasonally adjusted) was 1.79 million, decreased by 70 thousand from the previous month.

The number of employees was 62.19 million, increased by 680 thousand from the previous year.

Among them, the number of regular employee was 37.35 million, increased by 260 thousand from the previous year and the number of non-regular employee was 21.47 million, increased by 460 thousand from the previous year.

Employment Referrals for General Workers (April)

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

Active job openings-to-applicants ratio (seasonally adjusted) was 1.18, unchanged from the previous month.

The number of monthly active job openings (person(s)) (seasonally adjusted) was increased by 0.4% from the previous month and the number of monthly active applications (person(s)) (seasonally adjusted) was increased by 0.8% from the previous month.

New job openings-to-applicants ratio (seasonally adjusted) was 2.11, decreased by 0.04 point from the previous month.

Active job openings-to-applicants ratio for regular staff (seasonally adjusted) was 0.99, unchanged from the previous month.

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

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

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

The consumer price index for Ku-area of Tokyo in May 2026 (preliminary) was 112.7 (2020=100), up 1.4% from the previous year. All items, less fresh food, the comprehensive index was 112.0 up 1.3% from the previous year. All items less imputed rent was 115.0 up 1.5% from the previous year. All items, less fresh food and energy, the comprehensive index was 111.4 up 1.6% from the previous year.

2025 Economic Census for Business Frame “National and Local Governments”

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

According to the 2025 Economic Census for Business Frame “National and Local Governments”, the total number of establishments of national and local governments in Japan is 128,759 and compared with the 2024 census, decreased by 0.8%.

Indices of Industrial Production (Preliminary Report for April 2026)

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

The index of industrial production (seasonally adjusted, 2020=100) was 102.8, increased by 0.8% from the previous month. According to the Survey of Production Forecast in Manufacturing, Production is expected to increase in May, decrease in June.

Other Reports

Monthly Economic Report (May)

May 26 released by the Cabinet Office

The Japanese economy is recovering at a moderate pace, while attention should be given to the effects caused from the situation in the Middle East. (The same as the previous month)

• Private consumption shows movements of picking up. However, attention should be given to weak movements of consumer sentiment recently. (The same as the previous month)
• Business investment is picking up. (The same as the previous month)
• Exports are almost flat. (The same as the previous month)
• Industrial production is flat. (The same as the previous month)
• Corporate profits show movements of improvement, while attention should be given to the effects caused from the situation in the Middle East. (In the previous month, “Corporate profits, while affected by the U.S. trade policies, show movements of improvement.”)
• The employment situation shows movements of improvement. (The same as the previous month)
• Consumer prices have been rising moderately. (In the previous month, “Consumer prices have been rising moderately recently”)

White Paper on Manufacturing Industries (Monodzukuri) FY2025

May 29, released by Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology