Data from Japan?s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry showed that the labor market improved in June. Job availability and the unemployment rate for last month reached their respective best levels since 2008. Analysts attribute the positive data to monetary and fiscal stimulus programs undertaken by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Data also showed that levels of factory output in June declined for the first time in five months, likely due to hesitant manufacturers? efforts to avoid inventory buildup.
See "Output falls in Japan, but labor market expands", The New York Times, July 29, 2013