Tokyo - Japan's unemployment rate fell to 5.3 per cent in September from 5.5 per cent in August, the government said on Friday.

It was the second month in a row that unemployment had decreased.

The fall took place against a background of rising production driven by increasing exports.

There were 43 job openings for every 100 unemployed people, one more than in each of the previous two months.

Compared to last year the number of people officially registered as unemployed was 920,000 higher at 3.63 million. (dpa)