Japan jobless rate edges up in April

Japan's unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.6 percent in April from 4.5 percent in March, the internal affairs ministry said Tuesday. Economists had expected the rate to stay flat at 4.5 percent, according to Dow Jones Newswires. The jobless rate for men fell to 4.8 percent from 4.9 percent in March while the rate among women rose to 4.2 percent from 4.1 percent, the latest data showed. The labour ministry said in a separate report that the ratio of jobs available to job seekers stood at 0.79 in April, up from 0.76 in March, meaning there were 79 posts on offer for every 100 job hunters. The internal affairs ministry also said household spending rose an inflation-adjusted 2.6 percent from a year earlier in April, higher than an average 2.2 percent growth forecast by economists. Average spending per household came to 301,948 yen ($3,790) in the month.