Japan Industry Employment
Employment in industry SL.IND.EMPL.ZS
Japan's industry employment was 23.23% in 2025, ranked 129th globally. This represents a 0.5% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1991–2025.
Overview
Japan's industry employment stood at 23.23% in 2025, a decline of +0.12% from 2024. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 23.16% by 2026. Japan ranked 129th globally.
Japan’s share of employment in the industrial sector has fallen dramatically over the 35‑year series, declining from a peak of 33.45 percent in 1992 to a trough of 23.23 percent in 2025, the lowest level recorded in the series and the 129th position worldwide. The early 1990s represented the height of industrial employment before the prolonged structural shift toward services and a rapidly ageing labour force accelerated the decline. By 2025 the figure is virtually identical to that of El Salvador (23.14 percent) and only marginally above Tonga (23.34 percent), underscoring Japan’s convergence with economies that have long‑standing service‑dominant structures. The persistent downward trajectory reflects continued automation, offshoring of manufacturing and demographic pressures; unless policy measures such as targeted incentives for high‑value manufacturing or a reversal in population decline are introduced, the share of industrial employment is likely to keep receding in the coming decade.
Data & projection
| Year | Industry Employment | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2028* trend | 22.91% | - | - |
| 2027* trend | 23.03% | - | - |
| 2026* trend | 23.16% | - | - |
| 2025 | 23.23% | −0.12% | #129 |
| 2024 | 23.34% | −0.36% | #130 |
| 2023 | 23.71% | +0.09% | #133 |
| 2022 | 23.62% | −0.07% | #133 |
| 2021 | 23.70% | −0.23% | #132 |
| 2020 | 23.93% | −0.29% | #137 |
| 2019 | 24.23% | −0.22% | #135 |
| 2018 | 24.45% | −0.13% | #136 |
| 2017 | 24.58% | −0.01% | #137 |
| 2016 | 24.59% | −0.31% | #136 |
| 2015 | 24.90% | −0.22% | #140 |
| 2014 | 25.13% | −0.06% | #143 |
| 2013 | 25.19% | −0.12% | #142 |
| 2012 | 25.31% | −0.12% | #143 |
| 2011 | 25.43% | −0.09% | #147 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Japan matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2004. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw industry employment improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Japan's industry employment was 23.23% in 2025. Ranked 129th globally. This represents a 0.5% decrease from the previous year.
Japan's industry employment peaked at 33.45% in 1992.
The lowest industry employment in Japan was 23.23% in 2025.
Japan ranks 129th globally in industry employment as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SL.IND.EMPL.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
Japan's industry employment is projected to reach 23.16% by 2026 based on trend extrapolation.
The industry employment of Japan in 2025 was 23.23%. This ranks 129th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_japan_industry-employment,
title = {Japan Industry Employment},
url = {https://historysaid.com/japan/industry-employment/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}