Japan's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 4.6 percent in June, unchanged from the 45-month low recorded in May, as gains by women offset losses among men, the government said Friday.

The jobless rate has now stayed between 4 percent and 5 percent for four consecutive months, underscoring the view that the labor market is being supported by the economic upturn.

The jobless rate for women fell to a 70-month low of 4.2 percent, having stood at 4.4 percent in May, the Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications Ministry said in a preliminary report.