TOKYO - Japan's unemployment rate dropped 0.2 percentage point in May from the previous month to 4.5 percent, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said Friday.

Analysts noted that as the decline in unemployment does not factor in the areas worst affected by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, the figure cannot necessarily be taken as a true indication of the nation's employment and economic situation.

However, the ratio of job offers to job seekers remained the same in May from a month earlier at 0.61 - meaning 61 jobs were available for every 100 people seeking work, according to data from the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry released Friday.