Job availability rose to its highest level in over four decades in May, government data showed Friday, highlighting evidence that labor is in short supply.
The country's jobless rate rose to 3.1 percent in May from 2.8 percent in April, partly because people quit their jobs in search of better employment, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said.
Strong exports to Asia have boosted Japan's economy, which has been in its third-longest expansion phase in the postwar era. Companies, gradually stepping up output, are in an increasingly intense hunt for workers.