Japan's unemployment rate remains at 4.6 percent in June

TOKYO -- Japan's unemployment rate remained at 4.6 percent in June, the government said Friday, amid growing signs of economic recovery, such as rising production, exports and corporate profits.

The figure matched the forecast by economists surveyed by Dow Jones and Nikkei News.

After more than a decade of short rebounds dwindling into slowdowns, analysts say the world's second-largest economy is heading toward a solid upswing. The rebound had previously been export-driven, depending on upturns in the United States and the rest of Asia, but now has spread to consumer spending.

Before improving to 4.6 percent in May, Japan's unemployment rate held steady at 4.7 percent in April and March, after holding at 5.0 percent in January and February. The rate had reached a record high 5.5 percent in recent years, the highest since the government began keeping track in the 1950s.

Japan has been losing manufacturing and construction jobs in recent years, but the nation has added jobs in the service sector, including medical and welfare jobs. Unemployment, however, remains a serious problem among younger people.