Japan's unemployment rate rose to a seasonally adjusted 4.8 percent in April, up 0.1 percentage point from the preceding month for the first upturn in four months, the government said Tuesday.

The Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications Ministry said in a preliminary report that the jobless rate was 5 percent for men, up 0.1 point, and 4.4 percent for women, down 0.1 point.

"The unemployment rate has hovered at high levels" for the past two years or so, said a ministry official.