The latest government data shows the ratio of job offers to seekers here in Japan fell for the third-straight month in June.

The labor ministry says that on a nationwide average last month there were 123 job openings for every 100 applicants. That's down slightly from 124 in May.

Officials say manufacturers and building constructors are finding it difficult to take on new employees. This is amid soaring raw material costs due to a weaker yen and higher commodity prices.

Meanwhile, new data from the internal affairs ministry shows Japan's unemployment rate in June improved for the first time in five months.

It stood at 2.5 percent. That's an improvement of 0.1 percentage point from May.

Officials say one factor is that people who had quit their jobs to seek better opportunities found new employers.