Residents of Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, on Monday voiced hope for more jobs but raised concern about the impending transfer of a U.S. military base to their community a day after their anti-base mayor was defeated by a candidate calling for economic stimulus.

In Sunday's election, Taketoyo Toguchi, backed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, beat Susumu Inamine, an opponent of the contentious Japan-U.S. plan to move unpopular U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to their city from crowded Ginowan.

Some citizens were hopeful that Toguchi, a former assembly member who campaigned on improving Nago's economy, will generate more jobs. Okinawa's jobless rate stood at an average of 3.8 percent in 2017, the highest among all prefectures, according to government data.