Australia / Unemployment Rate Stays at 5.4%

Australia posted a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 5.4 percent in January, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Thursday.

That was unchanged from the previous month, and it also beat forecasts for 5.5 percent.

The Australian economy created 10,400 jobs in January – well ahead of forecasts for an increase of 6,000 jobs after 5,500 jobs were lost in the previous month.

Full-time employment decreased 9,800 to 8,098,400 and part-time employment increased 20,200 to 3,450,700.

The participation rate was 65.0 percent, missing forecasts for 65.1 percent, which would have been unchanged from the previous month.

Unemployment increased 2,000 (0.3 percent) to 659,600. The number of persons looking for full-time work decreased 5,800 to 470,800 and the number of persons looking for part-time work increased 7,700 to 188,700.

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via Australia Unemployment Rate 5.4% In January.