Japan's unemployment rate climbed for the first time in three months, the government said on Tuesday.

    The jobless rate moved up to 3.1% in November from 3.0% in the previous month, Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said.

    The Ministry said the number of those with jobs was about 64.5 million in November, up 730,000 from the same time last year, marking a 24th straight month of growth, Japan's broadcaster (NHK World) reported. The number of jobless fell by 120,000 from a year ago to 1.97 million, for the 78th consecutive month of decline. 

    Medical and welfare services eliminated 60,000 positions to 7.92 million on payrolls and manufacturers lost 50,000 jobs to 10.32 million, the ministry said. The availability of jobs, measured as the ratio of job offers per job seeker, edged up to 1.41 in November from 1.40 in the previous month, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare said.