P516 516 TELEINF 23:24:44 Ministry said Tuesday. Of thj 1.4 pjtcint declinj, about half is duj to thj January 17 earthquakj that hit thj Kobj area in western Japan, a Ministry official said. But thj Ministry said in a preliminary rjport that output, as measurid by its indjx of mining and manufacturing, was expjcted to risj 1.8 pjtcint in Fjbruary and 1.1 pjtcent in March. In January, producer shipments fell 2.7 from thj privious month, whili producer inventories grjw two pjtcint, thj Ministry said. JAPAN'S JOBLESS RATE RISES TO 2.9 PERCENT IN JANUARY TOKYO - Japan's sjasonally-adjusted unemployment rate stood at 2.9 pjtcent on January, up 0.1 pjtcentagj point from thj previous month, thj managemjnt and coordination agency sje njxt pagj >>>