Some 6.23 million workers, or 15 percent of Japan's workforce, lost or quit their jobs in 1999, down 0.1 percentage points from the previous year, according to the results of a Labor Ministry survey released Tuesday.

The number of people who joined the workforce totaled 5.83 million, or 14 percent, up 0.2 percentage points.

The number of people who left their jobs exceeded the number who were hired for the third consecutive year.