Japan: Employment
* indicates monthly or quarterly data series
The most recent value is 68.8 million employed people as of Q2 2026, an increase compared to the previous value of 67.76 million employed people. Historically, the average for Japan from Q1 1960 to Q2 2026 is 59.29 million employed people. The minimum of 41.77 million employed people was recorded in Q1 1960, while the maximum of 68.8 million employed people was reached in Q2 2026.
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* indicates monthly or quarterly data series
- Measure: million employed people
- Definition: The number of people, in millions, engaged in the economy as paid employees or as self-employed.
- Source: OECD
| Recent values | Japan: Employment, million people |
|---|---|
| 2026 Q2 | 68.8 |
| 2026 Q1 | 67.76 |
| 2025 Q4 | 68.56 |
| 2025 Q3 | 68.49 |
| 2025 Q2 | 68.36 |
| 2025 Q1 | 67.72 |
| 2024 Q4 | 68.13 |
| 2024 Q3 | 68.08 |
Download data from our database Other resources: All indicators for Japan All indicators on the website Article: Are trade deficits bad for the economy? Article: Sources of economic growth Article: Currency values and investment returns All articles
| Related indicators | Latest | Reference | Measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor force | 69.48 | 2025 | million people |
| Unemployment rate | 2.45 | 2025 | percent |
| Female unemployment | 2.30 | 2025 | percent |
| Male unemployment | 2.58 | 2025 | percent |
| Youth unemployment | 3.90 | 2025 | percent |
| Labor force participation | 63.45 | 2025 | percent |
| Labor force: percent female | 45.43 | 2025 | percent |
| Female labor force participation | 55.90 | 2025 | percent |
| Male labor force participation | 71.48 | 2025 | percent |
| Hours worked | 1,607.00 | 2023 | hours |
| Self-employment | 9.05 | 2025 | percent |
| Employment | 68.80 | Q2/2026 | million employed people |
| Unemployment rate | 2.50 | 8/2026 | percent |
| Labor cost | 118.37 | 6/2026 | index points |