TOKYO - Japan's unemployment rate fell slightly to 4.3 per cent in June, declining for the second straight month, but overall the economy continues to struggle after last year's disaster and as demand from debt-laden Europe weakens.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said Tuesday that the jobless rate in June fell 0.1 percentage point from 4.4 per cent in May.
Japan's population continued to decrease but the number of unemployed fell at a greater rate than those with jobs.
Japan is recovering from the devastation along its northeastern coastline caused by last year's earthquake and tsunami, which also set off a nuclear disaster. Public worries about nuclear safety have left all but two of 50 working reactors offline, forcing the nation to rely on expensive fuel imports.
Export-reliant Japan has also taken a hit from a strong yen and from Europe's debt crisis which has dragged on global demand.
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