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TOKYO, June 30 (Xinhua) -- The unemployment rate in Japan increased in May from a month earlier, as the COVID-19 pandemic has led to firms laying off staff as businesses stall, the government said in a report on Tuesday.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan's unemployment rate climbed to 2.9 percent in the recording period, with the figure coming on the heels of a 2.6-percent increase logged a month earlier.

Separately, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said Tuesday that the job availability ratio in Japan stood at 1.20 in May, dropping from a ratio of 1.32 booked in April, marking the lowest reading since July 2015.

The ratio equates to there being 120 job openings for every 100 people seeking work.