Japan’s unemployment rate falls to 2.4% in September

Japan’s unemployment rate fell to 2.4% in September, down from 2.5% in August.

The job availability ratio rose to 119 openings for every 100 job seekers, a small increase from August.

The ratio counts vacancies listed at public employment offices compared with people seeking work there.

The number of listed openings was unchanged, while the number of job seekers fell by 1.4%.

Heavy rain and other poor weather may have kept some people from visiting employment offices, an official said.

Manufacturing had the largest rise in new job offers among major industries, with semiconductor-related hiring notably stronger.

However, total new job offers were down 0.4% from a year earlier, the third monthly decline in a row.