Japan's internal affairs ministry says the seasonally adjusted jobless rate was 2.6 percent in June. That is unchanged from the previous month.

The number of unemployed people fell by 210,000, declining for the 12th straight month.

The number of furloughed workers, or people with jobs who were placed on leave, fell by 270,000. That marks a return to pre-pandemic levels three years ago.

Of those furloughed, 90,000 work in the hotel and restaurant service sectors, a significant decrease from 250,000 a year earlier.

Ministry officials say that indicates a recovery trend in job markets for sectors that were hit hard by the pandemic.
In a separate release, the labor ministry said the ratio of job openings to job seekers was 1.27 in June, meaning there were 127 vacancies for every 100 applicants. The figure marks the sixth consecutive monthly increase.