Japan jobless rate dips to 4.4 percent

TOKYO, Japan, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- Japan's unemployment rate reached 4.4 percent during December, the government reported.

It was a slight improvement from the 4.5 percent jobless rate recorded in November. Unemployment among men was higher than women, at 4.6 percent and 4.2 percent, in that order.

The number of those out of work reached 2.7 million, down 300,000 from a year ago, the government said.