Japan's average job availability ratio in 2023 rose 0.03 point from the previous year to 1.31, improving for the second straight year, reflecting a recovery in economic activity following the COVID-19 pandemic, government data showed Tuesday. The improvement came amid higher demand in the hospitality sector, although the job-to-applicant ratio was below the pre-pandemic level of 1.60 in 2019, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. The ratio means there were 131 job openings for every 100 job seekers. The slow recovery was attributable to caution about hiring in the construction and manufacturing ... (full story)