TOKYO, Japan's unemployment rate climbed to 2.5 percent in August from 2.4 percent in July, marking the first deterioration in five months, government data showed Friday.
The number of people with jobs rose by 30,000 from the previous month to a seasonally adjusted 68.34 million, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
Revised interest rate corridor system introduced
Of those out of work, 810,000 quit their jobs voluntarily, typically in pursuit of better working conditions, up 8.0 percent from July, while 400,000 were let go by their employers, an increase of 5.3 percent.
Meanwhile, the number of people newly looking for work grew 2.2 percent to 460,000, according to the ministry.
Separate data from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare showed the job availability ratio in August stood at 1.18, unchanged from the previous month, meaning there were 118 job opportunities for every 100 job seekers.
By industry, job openings fell from a year earlier in eight of the 11 sectors, led by an 11.1 percent drop in accommodation and restaurant services, followed by a 10.2 percent decline in wholesale and retail, the labor ministry said.
Of the three sectors that posted increases, manufacturing rose 3.9 percent, and information and communications gained 3.3 percent.
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