Employment in Japan

Japan: Employment was 67,630 in 2025. ▬ Flat

Latest (2025)
67,630
Change on year
down 0.0%
World rank
10th
of 188 countries
All-time high
67,643
in 2024
All-time low
62,675
in 2012
Years of data
35
1991–2025

Employment in Japan, 1991–2025

020.0k40.0k60.0k1991200820251991: 63.9k1992: 64.7k1993: 64.9k1994: 65.0k1995: 65.1k1996: 65.4k1997: 66.0k1998: 65.5k1999: 64.9k2000: 64.7k2001: 64.3k2002: 63.5k2003: 63.3k2004: 63.4k2005: 63.7k2006: 64.0k2007: 64.2k2008: 64.0k2009: 63.0k2010: 62.8k2011: 62.8k2012: 62.7k2013: 63.1k2014: 63.6k2015: 63.8k2016: 64.5k2017: 65.2k2018: 66.6k2019: 67.2k2020: 66.8k2021: 66.7k2022: 67.1k2023: 67.3k2024: 67.6k2025: 67.6k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

The most recent figure for employment in Japan is 67,630, measured in 2025.

That represents a change of up 6.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, employment in Japan peaked at 67,643 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 62,675, in 2012.

Japan ranks 10th of 188 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Employment in Japan, year by year

Annual values for Employment (ILO modelled estimates) in Japan, 1991 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1991 63,941
1992 64,738 +1.2%
1993 64,905 +0.3%
1994 65,017 +0.2%
1995 65,119 +0.2%
1996 65,427 +0.5%
1997 65,984 +0.9%
1998 65,486 -0.8%
1999 64,887 -0.9%
2000 64,688 -0.3%
2001 64,278 -0.6%
2002 63,463 -1.3%
2003 63,254 -0.3%
2004 63,386 +0.2%
2005 63,691 +0.5%
2006 63,970 +0.4%
2007 64,243 +0.4%
2008 63,992 -0.4%
2009 63,048 -1.5%
2010 62,784 -0.4%
2011 62,816 +0.0%
2012 62,675 -0.2%
2013 63,110 +0.7%
2014 63,585 +0.8%
2015 63,767 +0.3%
2016 64,488 +1.1%
2017 65,226 +1.1%
2018 66,559 +2.0%
2019 67,230 +1.0%
2020 66,751 -0.7%
2021 66,665 -0.1%
2022 67,061 +0.6%
2023 67,319 +0.4%
2024 67,643 +0.5%
2025 67,630 -0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 65,056 63,941 65,984 9
2000s 63,801 63,048 64,688 10
2010s 64,224 62,675 67,230 10
2020s 67,178 66,665 67,643 6

Countries ranked near Japan

  1. 7 Pakistan 80,542 compare
  2. 8 Bangladesh 71,915 compare
  3. 9 Russian Federation 71,459 compare
  4. 11 Mexico 60,058 compare
  5. 12 Viet Nam 56,173 compare
  6. 13 Ethiopia 54,892 compare

See the full ranking of 276 places →

More work & labour data for Japan

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is employment in Japan?
Employment in Japan was 67,630 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest employment recorded in Japan?
The highest recorded value was 67,643 in 2024.
What is the lowest employment recorded in Japan?
The lowest recorded value was 62,675 in 2012.
How does Japan rank for employment?
Japan ranks 10th out of 188 countries with data for 2025.
Is employment rising or falling in Japan?
Over the last ten years it is up 6.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Japan data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Employment (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Employment in Japan. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/employment-ilo-modelled-estimates/japan/

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About this data

Indicator
Employment (ILO modelled estimates)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
276 places, 9,646 data points, 1991–2025
Last refreshed

Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. The employed comprise all persons of working age who, during a specified brief period, were in one of the following categories: a) paid employment (whether at work or with a job but not at work); or b) self-employment (whether at work or with an enterprise but not at work). Data disaggregated by economic activity are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) available for that year. Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISIC. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.