Japan jobless rate falls to 4.2%

Japan’s unemployment rate fell to 4.2 % in January from a revised 4.3 % in December for the first improvement in three months as more women found jobs, adding to brighter signs for the country’s economy, government data showed Friday. But an official of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said the jobless rate has been at the same level since around last autumn and employment conditions still remain tough, noting that the number of unemployed people did not decrease in the reported month, Kyodo news reported. “The job climate hereafter will hinge on whether the overseas situation and (Japan’s) economic policies will lead to growth in the country’s economy,” the official added.