Japan’s unemployment rate in October 2024 rose 0.1% from the previous month to 2.5%, deteriorating for the first time in three months, as more people sought to stay in employment after reaching retirement age, reports the Mainichi, citing the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

The total number of people with jobs climbed 0.2% over the month to a seasonally adjusted 67.98 million, following a decrease in September, while those without jobs gained 1.8% to 1.71 million, marking the first increase in three months. Of those not in work, the number of people who voluntarily left their jobs decreased by 5.4% to 700,000, but individuals who were let go, including those who reached retirement age, increased by 5.4% to 390,000.

Separate government data showed that the ratio increased by 0.01 from September to 1.25, indicating there were 125 jobs available for every 100 job seekers.