Japan Construction Labour Shortage Rate
Shortage (+) or surplus (−) rate of skilled construction workers — (workers still needed − surplus workers) ÷ (workers secured + workers still needed) — from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's monthly survey of about 3,000 construction contractors on the 10th-20th of each month, original figures.
| Indicator | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | 11-2025 | 10-2025 | 09-2025 | 08-2025 | 07-2025 | 06-2025 | 05-2025 | 04-2025 | 03-2025 | 02-2025 | 01-2025 | 12-2024 | 11-2024 | 10-2024 | 09-2024 | 08-2024 | 07-2024 | 06-2024 | 05-2024 | 04-2024 | 03-2024 | 02-2024 | 01-2024 | 12-2023 | 11-2023 | 10-2023 | 09-2023 | 08-2023 | 07-2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eight trades total3 | 1.22 | 0.96 | 1.16 | 0.61 | -0.08 | 0.33 | 0.04 | 0.68 | 0.19 | 0.81 | 1.11 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 1.06 | 0.5 | 0.77 | 0.13 | 0.33 | 0.65 | 0.63 | 0.92 | 2.31 | 1.61 | 1.16 | 1.99 | 1.01 | 0.37 | 1.13 | 1.57 | 1.68 | 1.64 | 1.36 | 1.82 | 1.9 | 2.14 | 1.89 | 1.58 | |
| Six trades total6 | 0.69 | 0.53 | 0.79 | -0.04 | -1.16 | -0.33 | -0.9 | 0.01 | -0.99 | 0.08 | 1.05 | 0.85 | 1.79 | 1.1 | 0.62 | 0.47 | 0.33 | 0.27 | 0.64 | 0.56 | 0.72 | 2.54 | 1.57 | 1.16 | 2.3 | 1.02 | 0.3 | 1.07 | 1.78 | 1.9 | 1.82 | 1.13 | 1.76 | 2.25 | 2.63 | 2.17 | 1.83 | |
| Formwork carpenters (civil) | 0.54 | 0.29 | 2.9 | 0 | 0.66 | 1.06 | 0.81 | 0.78 | 0.99 | 2.34 | 1.55 | 2.49 | 2.66 | 1.42 | 1.9 | 1.66 | 0.29 | 0.85 | 1.7 | 0.25 | 1.71 | 2.76 | 1.72 | 1.43 | 2.27 | 0.65 | 0.73 | 1.62 | 1.03 | 0.3 | 0.58 | 1.55 | 1.52 | 2.29 | 2.43 | 2.3 | 1.42 | |
| Formwork carpenters (building) | 0.75 | 2.09 | 0.21 | 0.25 | -0.63 | -5.16 | 0.43 | 0.86 | 0.11 | 1.4 | 0.71 | 1.53 | -1.44 | -1.29 | -1.69 | 0.74 | 1.81 | -0.09 | -0.27 | 0.46 | -0.19 | 2.29 | 1.14 | 0.36 | 1.25 | -0.07 | -0.25 | 0.16 | 3.65 | 4.18 | 3.34 | 0.57 | 1.58 | 2.75 | 4.27 | 2.63 | 1.97 | |
| Plasterers | 1.18 | 1.27 | 0.45 | -0.19 | -0.69 | -0.16 | -0.09 | 1.28 | 1.41 | 0.08 | 1.72 | 0.61 | 1.69 | 0.29 | 0.88 | 0.45 | 0.72 | 0.59 | 0.94 | 0.89 | 1.24 | 2.71 | 2.32 | 1.55 | 3 | 2.11 | 0.55 | 0.56 | 3.32 | 4.31 | 3.15 | 2.83 | 4.18 | 4.28 | 3.54 | 4.15 | 2.8 | |
| Scaffolders (tobi) | 0.75 | 0.66 | 1.68 | 0.26 | 0.54 | 2.75 | 1.26 | 1.57 | 2.12 | 2.37 | 3.58 | 3.03 | 3.74 | 3.56 | 1.56 | 1.07 | -1.71 | 0 | 0.42 | 0.88 | 1.79 | 2.5 | 0.72 | 0.87 | 1.65 | 0.53 | 0 | 1.54 | 1.84 | 0.84 | 2.05 | 1.64 | 1.72 | 2.77 | 2.62 | 2.76 | 1.6 | |
| Rebar workers (civil) | 1.86 | 0.9 | 1.11 | 1.37 | 0.8 | 0.18 | 0.33 | 0.19 | 0 | 0.25 | 0.18 | 0.48 | 1.65 | 0.44 | 1.12 | 1.98 | 1.09 | 0.78 | 0.53 | 0.2 | 1.88 | 2.83 | 2.76 | 1.25 | 4.53 | 2.32 | 0.96 | 1.73 | 0.13 | 0.28 | 0.9 | 0.22 | 1.63 | 0.62 | 1.24 | 1.08 | 0.25 | |
| Rebar workers (building) | -0.33 | -1.88 | -2.03 | -2.09 | -9.92 | -4.89 | -10.96 | -6.92 | -14.55 | -9.28 | -4.94 | -8.95 | -0.79 | -1.06 | -2.27 | -3.8 | 0.14 | -0.41 | 0.31 | 0.42 | -2.01 | 2.18 | 1.23 | 1.58 | 1.89 | 1.08 | 0.36 | 1.99 | 0.57 | 2.31 | 0.47 | 0.2 | 1.58 | 0.72 | 1.43 | -0.52 | 2.65 | |
| Electricians | 0.68 | 0.49 | 2.15 | 2.12 | 1.53 | 0.9 | 1.45 | 1.72 | 1.99 | 1.59 | 0.78 | 1.09 | 1.19 | 1.21 | 0.62 | 1.59 | -0.38 | 0.45 | 0.45 | 0.89 | 1.81 | 1.3 | 2.03 | 0.93 | 0.94 | 0.64 | 0.47 | 1.2 | 1.13 | 1.05 | 0.8 | 1.13 | 1.79 | 1.03 | 1.26 | 1.36 | 1.16 | |
| Plumbers | 3.5 | 2.65 | 1.26 | 1.29 | 1.36 | 2.25 | 2.19 | 1.72 | 2.34 | 2.9 | 2.03 | 0.91 | 1.24 | 0.62 | -0.39 | 0.85 | -0.45 | 0.56 | 0.93 | 0.74 | 0.95 | 2.33 | 1.37 | 1.49 | 1.15 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 1.46 | 1.78 | 2.19 | 2.55 | 2.84 | 2.16 | 2.25 | 1.9 | 1.82 | 1.28 |
Latest reading
Eight trades total stood at 1.22% in Jul 2026. That is +0.3 pp from Jun 2026 and −0.4 pp from a year earlier. The series on this page is monthly and runs from May 2018 to Jul 2026.
- Latest
- 1.22%
- Jul 2026
- vs previous period
- +0.3 pp
- Jun 2026
- vs a year earlier
- −0.4 pp
About this data
Shortage (+) or surplus (−) rate of skilled construction workers — (workers still needed − surplus workers) ÷ (workers secured + workers still needed) — from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's monthly survey of about 3,000 construction contractors on the 10th-20th of each month, original figures. The six-trade total covers formwork, plastering, scaffolding and rebar work; the eight-trade total adds electricians and plumbers. Monthly from May 2018.
