Improved Japanese Economy

Japanese unemployment fell markedly last month, providing further evidence of the country's continuing economic turnaround. The jobless rate fell to 4.4% in December, from 4.6% the previous month, as the total number of unemployed dropped by 50,000 to 2.6 million.

Seasonally adjusted unemployment averaged 4.4% last year, significantly lower than the 4.7% recorded in 2004.

Rising consumer spending and industrial output have boosted Japan's economy.

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