Japan jobless rate in Jan. unchanged at 2.5% amid tight labor market

Japan's unemployment rate in January remained unchanged for the fourth consecutive month at 2.5 percent, reflecting a tight labor market amid a worker shortage, the government said Tuesday.The total number of people with jobs climbed 0.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted 68.27 million, while those without jobs grew 1.2 percent to 1.74 million, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said.The unemployment rate remained flat from a revised 2.5 percent in December, the ministry said."The labor market seems to be expanding," a ministry official said, adding, "The employment situation…READ FULL ARTICLE