The nation's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.9 percent in June from the previous month, matching the record for the third time this year, the government said Tuesday in a preliminary report.
Taken to two decimal places, however, it marked a new high at 4.92 percent, up from January's 4.86 percent and May's 4.89 percent, government officials said.
Takeo Hiranuma, minister of economy, trade and industry, said the government will put together a set of employment measures by the end of August to prevent the country's jobless rate from topping 5 percent.
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