TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's jobless rate rose slightly in January while the availability of jobs held steady, government data showed on Friday, underlining a tight labor market despite recent signs of deterioration in the economy.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 2.5 percent from 2.4 percent in December, and compared with economists' median forecast of 2.4 percent, figures from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications showed.
The jobs-to-applicants ratio stood at 1.63, unchanged from December and matching economists' median estimate.