Japan's unemployment rate fell to 2.8 percent in February, the lowest in more than 22 years, offering a positive sign for the country's economy, government data showed Friday.

Consumers, however, remained reluctant to loosen their purse strings, as household spending, a key indicator of private consumption, slipped 3.8 percent in the month from a year earlier to ¥260,644 ($2,300), the internal affairs ministry said.

The February jobless rate fell slightly from 3.0 percent in January.