TOKYO: Asian markets rose Friday after a fall in US unemployment benefit claims eased the worries about a stuttering global economic recovery that have roiled stocks for several weeks.

South Korea’s central bank added to the optimism by raising its benchmark interest rate from a record low amid prospects for faster growth in the country’s economy.

Japan’s Nikkei 225 stock average inched up 6.27 points, or 0.1 percent, to 9,542.01 with exporters advancing on a weaker yen. But overall trading was cautious ahead of upper house elections Sunday and expected losses by the ruling party.

Investors bought tech shares in Tokyo trade, with Canon Inc. up 1.2 percent and Sony Corp. rising 0.8 percent.

South Korea’s Kospi added 0.5 percent to 1,706.68 after the interest rate decision.

The Bank of Korea lifted the benchmark seven-day repurchase rate to 2.25 percent from 2 percent. It was the first increase since August of 2008, just before the onset of the worldwide financial meltdown.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was up 0.6 percent at 20,171.40 and Australia’s stock benchmark gained 0.1 percent to 4,361.50.

Markets in Singapore, Taiwan and Malaysia also rose while in mainland China, the Shanghai Composite Index was fractionally lower.

In New York Thursday, stocks rose for a third straight day after the Labor Department’s report of a larger than expected drop in the number of newly laid-off people seeking unemployment benefits.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 1.2 percent, to 10,138.99. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose 0.9 percent, to 1,070.25, and the Nasdaq composite index finished up 0.7 percent at 2,175.40.

In currencies, the dollar rose to 88.56 yen from 88.38 yen in New York late Thursday. The euro fell to $1.2694 from $1.2697.

Benchmark crude for August delivery was up 26 cents at $75.70 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $1.37 to settle at $75.44 a barrel on Thursday.