Japan - Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate)

Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%) (national estimate) in Japan was 60.37 as of 2021. Its highest value over the past 61 years was 68.12 in 1961, while its lowest value was 56.44 in 2012.

Definition: Employment to population ratio is the proportion of a country's population that is employed. Employment is defined as persons of working age who, during a short reference period, were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit, whether at work during the reference period (i.e. who worked in a job for at least one hour) or not at work due to temporary absence from a job, or to working-time arrangements. Ages 15 and older are generally considered the working-age population.

Source: International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in December 2019.

See also:

Year Value
1960 68.04
1961 68.12
1962 67.45
1963 66.23
1964 65.36
1965 64.91
1966 64.95
1967 65.11
1968 65.15
1969 64.76
1970 64.60
1971 64.18
1972 63.52
1973 63.84
1974 62.79
1975 61.86
1976 61.72
1977 61.89
1978 61.98
1979 62.09
1980 61.98
1981 61.89
1982 61.85
1983 62.10
1984 61.69
1985 61.35
1986 61.05
1987 60.81
1988 61.03
1989 61.44
1990 61.94
1991 62.45
1992 62.59
1993 62.20
1994 61.79
1995 61.44
1996 61.36
1997 61.50
1998 60.72
1999 59.93
2000 59.48
2001 58.88
2002 57.94
2003 57.57
2004 57.56
2005 57.73
2006 57.89
2007 58.05
2008 57.75
2009 56.83
2010 56.54
2011 56.55
2012 56.44
2013 56.85
2014 57.31
2015 57.48
2016 58.11
2017 58.74
2018 60.03
2019 60.62
2020 60.25
2021 60.37

Development Relevance: Four targets were added to the UN Millennium Declaration at the 2005 World Summit High-Level Plenary Meeting of the 60th Session of the UN General Assembly. One was full and productive employment and decent work for all, which is seen as the main route for people to escape poverty. Employment to population ratio is a key measure to monitor whether a country is on track to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger by 2015. And it continues to be a priority in the Sustainable Development Goal of promoting sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.

Limitations and Exceptions: Data on employment by status are drawn from labor force surveys and household surveys, supplemented by official estimates and censuses for a small group of countries. The labor force survey is the most comprehensive source for internationally comparable employment, but there are still some limitations for comparing data across countries and over time even within a country. Comparability of employment ratios across countries is affected by variations in definitions of employment and population. The biggest difference results from the age range used to define labor force activity. The population base for employment ratios can also vary. Most countries use the resident, non-institutionalized population of working age living in private households, which excludes members of the armed forces and individuals residing in mental, penal, or other types of institutions. But some countries include members of the armed forces in the population base of their employment ratio while excluding them from employment data. The reference period of a census or survey is another important source of differences: in some countries data refer to people's status on the day of the census or survey or during a specific period before the inquiry date, while in others data are recorded without reference to any period. Employment ratios tend to vary during the year as seasonal workers enter and leave. This indicator also has a gender bias because women who do not consider their work employment or who are not perceived as working tend to be undercounted. This bias has different effects across countries and reflects demographic, social, legal, and cultural trends and norms.

Statistical Concept and Methodology: The employment to population ratio indicates how efficiently an economy provides jobs for people who want to work. A high ratio means that a large proportion of the population is employed. But a lower employment to population ratio can be seen as a positive sign, especially for young people, if it is caused by an increase in their education.

Aggregation method: Weighted average

Periodicity: Annual

General Comments: The series for ILO estimates is also available in the WDI database. Caution should be used when comparing ILO estimates with national estimates.

Classification

Topic: Labor & Social Protection Indicators

Sub-Topic: Economic activity