---
title: Japan's job-to-applicant ratio only makes sense by occupation
description: "Japan's headline ratio: 1.18 openings per applicant. By occupation: construction 8.25, security 6.99, care 3.89, sales 2.05, IT 1.33, office 0.29."
image: https://nobusato.jp/hubfs/japan-job-openings-ratio-by-occupation-en.png
---

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# Japan's job-to-applicant ratio only makes sense by occupation

[Nobu Sato](https://nobusato.jp/en/profile?hsLang=en)

![Japan's job ratioonly makes senseby occupation](https://nobusato.jp/hs-fs/hubfs/japan-job-openings-ratio-by-occupation-en.png?width=1200&height=630&name=japan-job-openings-ratio-by-occupation-en.png)

Every month Japan publishes one labor number that makes the news: the job-to-applicant ratio. In August 2026 it was 1.18, meaning 1.18 openings for every job seeker. It sounds like a mild market.

I never look at the headline figure. It averages two completely different countries into one.

## Split by occupation, there are two Japans

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare publishes the same ratio by occupation every month. August 2026: structural construction 8.25, security 6.99, construction and civil engineers 5.71, care workers 3.89, drivers 2.54, sales 2.05, retail 1.72, IT and telecom engineers 1.33, managers 0.81, clerical 0.37, general office 0.29.

On one side, eight openings per applicant. On the other, three applicants per opening. Same month, same country.

1.0Structural construction8.25Security6.99Construction engineers5.71Care workers3.89Drivers2.54Sales2.05Retail1.72IT engineers1.33Managers0.81Clerical0.37General office0.29All occupations 1.06 (unadjusted)

**Fig.1**Job-to-applicant ratio by occupation, August 2026. Above 1, companies seek people; below 1, people seek jobs. Hello Work openings and applicants only.

## How to read it

Above 1, companies are hunting for people. The higher the ratio, the more the job is one you can't fill at any wage. Construction, care, driving, security: the problem isn't pay, it's that the workforce is disappearing. Incumbents are aging out, young people aren't entering, and foreign workers are filling the gap ([next post](https://nobusato.jp/en/blog/foreign-workers-in-japan-by-the-numbers?hsLang=en)).

Below 1, people are hunting for jobs. General office at 0.29 means three or four applicants per opening. Japan has many well-educated people who want office work, and those jobs are shrinking. When a foreign entity posts a sales-support or admin role and resumes pour in fast, it isn't the company's appeal. The pool was already full.

The middle band is where people misjudge. Sales at 2.05 looks tight, but "sales" in this statistic covers everyone from shop floor to enterprise accounts. For the salesperson who knows your industry and can work corporate clients, the real ratio is far higher.

## IT at 1.33 is misleading

Software and internet companies see IT engineers at 1.33 and relax. Don't.

The statistic counts only openings and applicants that go through Hello Work, the public employment service. IT jobs posted there are mostly maintenance and staffing roles at small companies, and engineers rarely job-hunt that way. Private job platforms report IT engineer ratios of 8 to 12 for years running.

So on this chart, trust the blue-collar numbers and discount the professional ones. The more senior the role, the less Hello Work sees of it. After many years hiring in Japan, my own experience across every role comes down to one thing: not enough resumes. Even at a 0.3 ratio, applications are plentiful and usable ones are still scarce.

## Using it for a hiring budget

I show clients this chart and use it in three steps.

First, map the role you need onto the occupation categories and see which band it falls in. Under 1: run a normal process and spend on screening. 1 to 3: spend on channels and speed. Above 3: don't count on job ads. Poach, train, or hire foreign workers.

Under 1Normal process, budget on screening1 to 3Budget on channels and speedAbove 3Poach, train, or hire foreign

**Fig.2**Three bands, three places to put the hiring budget.

Second, look at the trend for that occupation. Care went from 2.6 in 2015 to 4.2 in 2019 and has stayed around 4 since. I can't think of an occupation that crossed 3 and came back down.

Third, add geography. Tokyo and regional ratios differ by a factor of two routinely. Drivers and site managers you can't find in Tokyo may be available in Osaka or Fukuoka, which belongs in the math when you consider a regional office.

## Where I'm not sure

The ratio is a stock, not a flow. It compares accumulated openings with accumulated job seekers, which isn't the same as how hard it is to hire. In a 0.3 occupation, the best people still get fought over.

The role you're trying to fill: where does it sit on this chart?

Sources

- [厚生労働省「一般職業紹介状況（令和8年8月分）」職業別有効求人倍率（常用・パート含む・原数値）](https://www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/list/114-1.html)
- [厚生労働省「介護分野の現状等について」有効求人倍率（介護関係職種）の推移](https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/12300000/000644080.pdf)

---

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