> Source: https://coursetojob.com/countries/japan/ — updated 2026-09-26 · language: en > Markdown version of this CourseToJob page for AI agents. The HTML page is canonical. Data licence CC BY 4.0: cite the page URL and the original statistical source. East Asia and Pacific # Graduate jobs and salaries in Japan Updated September 26, 2026 Data years: 2020 [How we use data](https://coursetojob.com/methodology/) Older data (2020) The latest official figure is from 2020. It may not reflect today's labour market. Quick answer Their unemployment rate was 2.4%, against 2.7% for all adults aged 25 and over (2020). Sources: ILOSTAT (ILO) - **2.4%** unemployment, tertiary-educated adults 25+ (all adults: 2.7%, 2020) - **3.9%** unemployment, tertiary-educated 15–24 year olds (2020) ## Are graduates less likely to be unemployed in Japan? **Unemployment rate by education level, 2020** | Education level | Adults 25+ | Young people 15–24 | | --- | --- | --- | | Intermediate education | 2.9% | 7.3% | | Advanced (tertiary) education | 2.4% | 3.9% | | All levels | 2.7% | 6.7% | Unemployment among tertiary-educated adults is the 22 lowest of 130 countries with data. The East Asia and Pacific median is 2.3%. ### Unemployment over time, adults 25+ Advanced (tertiary) educationAll levels ## Studying and working in Japan Rules on student visas, work after graduation and recognition of qualifications change often. Use the official sources below and check the date on any advice you read. - [Official study portal](https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/) - [Public job portal](https://www.hellowork.mhlw.go.jp/) [Guide: how to choose a country to study in](https://coursetojob.com/guides/study-abroad/) · [Guide: getting your degree recognised abroad](https://coursetojob.com/guides/degree-recognition-abroad/) ## Country context - **Population:** 123.4M (2025) - **GDP per person (PPP):** $55,422 (2025) - **Tertiary enrolment (gross):** 64.5% (2023) ## Questions about graduate jobs in Japan **What is the unemployment rate for graduates in Japan?** In 2020, the unemployment rate for adults aged 25 and over with tertiary education in Japan was 2.4%, compared with 2.7% for all adults. Among young people aged 15–24 with tertiary education it was 3.9%. **Where can I find official information about studying in Japan?** Start with the official study portal and immigration pages linked on this page. They set out entry requirements, student visas and any rights to work after graduating, which change more often than most guides are updated. ## Compare with other countries in East Asia and Pacific [Compare Japan side by side](https://coursetojob.com/compare/?c=JP,PH,VN) - **[Philippines](https://coursetojob.com/countries/philippines/)** — +54% more for tertiary-educated employees (2024) East Asia and Pacific - **[Vietnam](https://coursetojob.com/countries/vietnam/)** — +25% more for tertiary-educated employees (2024) East Asia and Pacific - **[Thailand](https://coursetojob.com/countries/thailand/)** — +74% more for tertiary-educated employees (2025) East Asia and Pacific - **[Myanmar](https://coursetojob.com/countries/myanmar/)** — -16% more for tertiary-educated employees (2020) East Asia and Pacific - **[Indonesia](https://coursetojob.com/countries/indonesia/)** — +60% more for tertiary-educated employees (2023) East Asia and Pacific - **[South Korea](https://coursetojob.com/countries/south-korea/)** — 2.6% unemployment, tertiary-educated adults (2025) East Asia and Pacific ## Sources 1. [ILOSTAT — Unemployment rate by age and education](https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/) — LFS - Labour Force Survey, 2020 2. [World Bank — World Development Indicators](https://data.worldbank.org/country/jp) — Population, GDP per person (PPP) and tertiary enrolment **How to cite this page:** CourseToJob (2026). Japan: graduate salaries, jobs and unemployment. https://coursetojob.com/countries/japan/ (accessed September 26, 2026) [Report a data or content issue](mailto:hello@elitedigitalagency.io?subject=Data%20issue%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fcoursetojob.com%2Fcountries%2Fjapan%2F) **Notes from the data source** - Employment definition: Excluding own-use production workers ## Key facts - **Region:** East Asia and Pacific - **Unemployment, tertiary:** 2.4% (2020) **On this page** 1. Are graduates less likely to be unemployed in Japan? 2. Studying and working in Japan Machine-readable: [JSON](https://coursetojob.com/api/v1/countries/jp.json) · [Markdown](https://coursetojob.com/countries/japan.md)