Japan Construction Labour Shortage, Annual
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 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996 | 1995 | 1994 | 1993 | 1992 | 1991 | 1990 | 1989 | 1988 | 1987 | 1986 | 1985 | 1984 | 1983 | 1982 | 1981 | 1980 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eight trades total3 | 0.73 | 1.34 | 1.42 | 1.21 | 0.54 | 0.58 | 1.43 | 1.32 | 0.97 | 0.75 | 0.7 | 1.77 | 1.57 | 1.01 | 0.77 | -0.65 | -1.45 | -0.67 | 0.73 | 1.25 | 0.8 | -0.26 | -0.56 | -0.3 | -0.1 | 0 | -0.3 | -0.3 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.4 | ||||||||||||||
| Six trades total6 | 0.52 | 1.4 | 1.56 | 1.64 | 0.62 | 0.54 | 1.58 | 1.63 | 1.17 | 0.82 | 0.83 | 2.28 | 2.23 | 1.57 | 1.25 | -1.03 | -2.23 | -1.1 | 0.87 | 1.81 | 1.14 | -0.35 | -0.74 | -0.4 | -0.2 | 0 | -0.3 | -0.4 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 3 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 3 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0 | -0.1 | 0.5 | 2.2 | |
| Formwork carpenters (civil) | 1.55 | 1.25 | 1.42 | 1.18 | 1.04 | 0.84 | 1.9 | 1.55 | 2.14 | 1.98 | 1.29 | 2.68 | 2.86 | 0.95 | 0.16 | -0.44 | -0.81 | -0.66 | 0.18 | 1.02 | 0.07 | -0.1 | -0.8 | -0.4 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.5 | -0.1 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 1 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 2.3 | 5.3 | 6 | 3.4 | 2.7 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 2.9 | |
| Formwork carpenters (building) | 0.2 | 1.36 | 2.04 | 2.41 | 0.68 | 0.58 | 1.35 | 1.51 | 1.13 | 0.76 | 0.8 | 2.26 | 2.01 | 1.28 | 1.64 | -0.26 | -2.34 | -1.13 | 1.04 | 2.05 | 2.42 | 0.21 | -0.09 | 0.2 | -0.2 | 0.1 | -0.2 | -0.3 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 1 | 0 | 0.6 | 2.4 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 0 | -0.1 | -0.4 | 0.1 | 1.9 | |
| Plasterers | 0.89 | 2.14 | 2.81 | 1.76 | 0.6 | 0.57 | 1.5 | 0.69 | 0.98 | 1.1 | 0.38 | 1.85 | 0.68 | 0.73 | 0.09 | -2.14 | -1.84 | -1.19 | 0.15 | 0.27 | 0.39 | -0.25 | -0.45 | -0.3 | 0.3 | -0.3 | -0.4 | -0.5 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 2 | 2 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 0.4 | -0.1 | -0.1 | -0.4 | 0 | 1.6 | |
| Scaffolders (tobi) | 1.78 | 1.27 | 1.65 | 0.86 | 0.38 | 0.95 | 1.94 | 1.18 | 1.17 | 1.23 | 1.16 | 2.23 | 2.08 | 1.11 | 0.46 | -1.58 | -1.42 | -1.19 | -0.09 | -0.46 | -0.43 | -1.43 | -2.05 | -2 | -1.3 | -0.7 | -1 | -0.3 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 1.6 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0 | 0.3 | 1 | 2.7 | |
| Rebar workers (civil) | 0.72 | 1.65 | 0.54 | 0.96 | 0.51 | 0.64 | 2.3 | 2.04 | 1.72 | 1.78 | 0.73 | 2.32 | 3.61 | 1.83 | 1.22 | -0.96 | -3.22 | -0.42 | 1.69 | 2.16 | 0.95 | -0.57 | -1.17 | 0.1 | 0.2 | -0.2 | 0.3 | -0.7 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 1 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 2.6 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0 | 0.5 | 3.2 | |
| Rebar workers (building) | -4.38 | 1.01 | 0.87 | 3.15 | 0.62 | -0.44 | 0.61 | 2.66 | 0.52 | -0.72 | 0.54 | 2.4 | 3.13 | 3.47 | 3.29 | -1.13 | -4.77 | -1.53 | 2.74 | 6.02 | 2.25 | -0.14 | -0.32 | -0.1 | 0.5 | 0.7 | -0.7 | -0.9 | 0.8 | 1 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 2.7 | 4.1 | 4 | 3.8 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 1.9 | |
| Electricians | 1.02 | 1.1 | 1.06 | 0.36 | 0.33 | 0.49 | 1.06 | 0.67 | 0.48 | 0.57 | 0.51 | 0.82 | 0.45 | 0.18 | 0.06 | -0.01 | -0.24 | 0.06 | 0.5 | 0.31 | 0.14 | -0.16 | -0.26 | -0.2 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 | -0.4 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | ||||||||||||||
| Plumbers | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.59 | 0.89 | 0.68 | 1.1 | 1.42 | 1.06 | 0.93 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.97 | 0.82 | 0.43 | -0.12 | -0.1 | -0.22 | -0.01 | 0.49 | 0.47 | 0.39 | -0.02 | -0.11 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.1 | -0.1 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.8 |
Latest reading
Six trades total stood at 0.52% in 2025. That is −0.9 pp from 2024. The series on this page is annual and runs from 1980 to 2025.
- Latest
- 0.52%
- 2025
- vs previous period
- −0.9 pp
- 2024
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. Calendar-year averages from 1980 (electricians and plumbers from later years).
