Japan's 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average crept up 0.2 percent Monday amid concerns about negative U.S. employment data and domestic trends towards share-issuance to raise capital to offset debt. The benchmark Nikkei gained 19.64 points to 9,808.99.

The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange ended in negative territory, shedding 0.4 percent to 870.67.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor reported that the unemployment rate rose to 10.2 percent in October and non-farm payroll employment continued to decline to -190,000, 91,000 less than previously reported. The largest job losses over the month were in construction, manufacturing and the retail trade.

The number of unemployed persons increased by 558,000 to 15.7 million. The unemployment rate rose by 0.4 percentage point to 10.2 percent -- the highest rate since April 1983. Since the start of the recession in December 2007, the number of unemployed has risen by 8.2 million and the unemployment rate has grown by 5.3 percent.

"The (U.S.) jobs data wasn't all that good. Usually if numbers are worse than expected markets aren't too happy, but the downward revision in terms of jobs lost in August and September shows the situation there is improving. It appears that there's a bit of a movement back towards risk-taking," said Nagayuki Yamagishi, a strategist at Mitsubishi UFJ Securities.

However China-linked shares gained Monday on optimism that key economic data due out later this week will continue to provide investors with propitious cues.

Komatsu Ltd. the world's second-largest maker of construction and mining equipment, gained 1.9 percent to 1,854 yen, whilst Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. Ltd, rose 2.7 percent to 2,300 yen. Kubota Tractor Corp., leapt 8 percent to 766 yen on optimism regarding the growth of China's economy.

"Given that the market is currently out of strong factors as Japan's earnings season comes to a close, investors are now returning to prior themes, such as expectations for Chinese economic growth," said Masayoshi Okamoto, head of dealing at Jujiya Securities.

In the industry groups, insurance companies entered positive territory Monday, led by Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Group Holdings Inc. The stock jumped 8.6 percent to 2,275 yen, the largest advancer on the Nikkei 225, after its first-half net income unexpectedly rose to 57 billion yen because of smaller-than- expected payouts for typhoons and other natural disasters.

"With the typhoon season having passed, we expect any future natural disaster-related losses to be small and think the actual size of these losses will provide upside to full-year earnings. We think this is a good time to reappraise and consider buying non-life insurance stocks based on earnings improvement," said Masayoshi Kobayashi, an analyst at Nomura Holdings Inc.

Aioi Insurance Co. surged 8.7 percent to 427 yen. The casualty insurer doubled its full-year net income projection to 16 billion yen, again citing fewer-than-expected typhoons and other natural disasters as the reason.

Tokio Marine Holdings Inc., Japan's largest insurer, gained 4.7 percent to 2,455 yen. The company said first-half net income totaled 71 billion yen, 78 percent more than forecast, on higher-than-expected sales, according to a preliminary earnings statement.

Watches and electronics manufacturer, Citizen Holings Co., soared 7.8 percent to 526 yen -- the company's biggest rise in half a year. The watchmaker boosted its full-year operating profit outlook 83 percent to 5.5 billion yen, citing lower fixed costs. Operating profit in the six months ending Sept. 30 plunged 82 percent to 1.73 billion yen, as sales fell by 28 percent, the company said in a press release. Nomura raised its rating on the company to "buy" from "neutral".

Semiconductor and electronics maker Rohm Co. Ltd. shed 5.3 percent to 5,950 yen after the company made a downward revision to it's operating profit forecast.

Banking shares were a drag on markets today with Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group losing 3.2 percent to 3,060 yen, whilst Mizuho Financial Group dropped 1.7 percent to 176 yen.

"Falls in shares are limited because there is no reason to sell Japanese shares further after seeing healthy corporate earnings results with many being revised upward," said Masaru Hamasaki, a senior strategist at Toyota Asset Management.

At the same time there is a wave of uncertainty across markets as concern mounts regarding Japanese companies opting to raise capital through share issuance to balance books and the dollar's moves against the yen is preventing much active buying of Japanese stocks, according to market insiders.

"If the yen strengthens to 85 or 80, many companies won't be able to make up exchange-rate losses," said Takeshi Osawa, a senior fund manager in Tokyo at Norinchukin Zenkyoren Asset Management Co.

Trade was thin Monday, with 1.6 billion shares changing hands on the Tokyo exchange's First section, this in comparison to last week's daily average of 1.8 billion shares.

Declining shares outnumbered advancing ones by more than 2 to 1.