TOKYO, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Availability of jobs in Japan dropped in October for the first time in eight months, the government said in a report on Friday, although the country is experiencing the tightest labor crunch in decades.

The labor crunch is continuing as the nation's demographic crisis is severely impacting the number of workers workers of an eligible age.

According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the ratio of job seekers to openings stood at 1.62, which means there are 162 job openings for every 100 workers.

The latest figure has dropped from September's ratio of 1.64, which marked the highest reading since January 1974.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said separately that the nation's unemployment rate rose from 2.3 percent a month earlier to 2.4 percent in October.

The figure is still hovering close to record lows logged in the 1990s, the ministry said.