The nation's unemployment rate worsened to 3.1% in October, its highest level in over three years, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to cast a pall over the labor market, government data showed Tuesday.
The job availability ratio, however, marked its first improvement since April 2019, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said, as hiring picked up despite persisting uncertainty over the economic outlook.
The ratio rose to 1.04 from 1.03 in September, meaning that there were 104 job openings for every 100 job seekers.