Japan's unemployment rate in June rose 0.2 percentage point from the previous month to 3.7 percent, marking the first rise in 10 months, the Japanese Internal Affairs Ministry said Tuesday.

The ministry said in a preliminary report the number of unemployed people in the reporting period rose 110,000, or 4.7 percent, from a month earlier to 2.44 million.

But it believed the employment situation is improving, as a major reason behind the higher jobless rate is people who seek employment increased.

"We often see a rise in the unemployment rate when the economy is recovering, as more people try to join the job market," an official from the ministry said.

Separate data released by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare showed the nation's job availability improved for the 19th straight month.

The ratio of employment offers to seekers rose to 1.10 in June from 1.09 in May, meaning 110 positions were available for every 100 job seekers.