Japan Ranked 5th on WEF Human Resources Index List

London, May 13 (Jiji Press)--Japan came fifth on the World Economic Forum's human capital index of 124 countries, jumping from the 15th place in the previous ranking in 2013, a WEF report showed Wednesday. According to the WEF Human Capital Report, the index measures each country's ability to foster and develop human resources, including through education and job training. Japan came top for people aged 65 years or older and placed second for the 55-64 year-old group, both pushing up Japan's position in the overall list. Japan also came top in completion rates for primary and secondary education for both age groups and ranked high for other indicators including average life span. The strong performance of these age groups shows that Japan has been well adapted to an aging society, said a WEF official. Meanwhile, Japan came 21th on the list for the 15-24 years age group, including the 60th place for job-training participation and 50th on long-term unemployment, highlighting the challenges the country still faces over youth human resources development. END