Jobless Rate Rises in Japan, Ends 3-Month Drop

Japan’s jobless rate rose in June to 4.7% from May’s 4.6%, breaking a three-month decline, amid a drop in employment at small and family-run businesses, the government said. But the overall employment data were not all bleak. Figures showed that employment at large businesses continued to rise in June, while medium-sized companies employed more workers for the first time in a year, according to the Management and Coordination Agency. The total number of jobless fell to 3.21 million, a drop of 80,000 from the previous month. In a separate survey, the Labor Ministry said the ratio of job offers to job seekers, an indicator of demand for labor, rose to 0.59 in June, an increase of 0.03 points from May. The number of workers employed by small businesses continued to fall, dropping 0.6%, the official said. The official said that a recent rise in bankruptcies might be pushing up the number of people losing their jobs in that sector. But those employed by large companies--those companies employing more than 500 people--climbed 1.9%, gaining for the ninth straight month.