Japan's employment situation worsened further in May as the jobless rate matched a record-high 4.9 percent, up 0.1 percentage point from the previous month, the government said Friday.
The seasonally adjusted jobless rate, which rose for the second straight month in May, first hit the record 4.9 percent in December, remaining at the same level in January.
The jobless rate for men was a record 5.1 percent, up 0.1 point, while the rate for women was 4.6 percent, up 0.2 point, the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications said in a preliminary report. The jobless rate for men was at the same level in March last year.