TOKYO, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Japan's unemployment rate in May improved from a month earlier, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said in a report Friday.

According to the ministry, the unemployment rate in the recording month stood at 2.2 percent in May, compared to 2.5 percent a month earlier.

Separately, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said that job availability stood at 1.60 in May, rising from 1.59 in April. The figure translates to there being 160 job openings for every 100 workers.

As an indicator of Japan's tightening labor market, the job availability in the recording period marked the highest level in more than 44 years.