Aust unemployment rate 4.5 pct in Dec - ABS =3D3
15 Jan 2009 11:36 AM
SYDNEY, Jan 15 AAP - Australia's unemployment rate was a seasonally adjusted 4.5 per cent in December, compared with an unchanged 4.4 per cent in November, figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show.
Total employment fell by 1,200 to 10.742 million seasonally adjusted.
Full-time employment fell by 43,900 to 7.640 million and part-time employment was up 42,800 to 3.102 million.
The participation rate in December was 65.0 per cent, compared with 65.1 per cent in November.
Economists had expected total employment to decline by 20,000, a jobless rate of 4.5 per cent and a participation rate of 65.0 per cent.
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Seasonally adjusted:
December November Year ago
Full-time employed 7,640,200 7,684,100 7,610,000
Part-time employed 3,102,200 3,059,400 2,998,800
Total employed 10,742,300 10,743,500 10,608,800
Unemployed 501,100 498,500 465,500
Unemployment rate 4.5 pct 4.4 pct 4.2 pct
Participation rate 65.0 pct 65.1 pct 65.2 pct
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Seasonally adjusted unemployment rate state by state:
December November Year ago
NSW 5.2 pct 5.2 pct 4.6 pct
Vic 4.6 pct 4.4 pct 4.7 pct
Qld 3.9 pct 3.8 pct 3.5 pct
SA 5.3 pct 5.4 pct 4.9 pct
WA 2.8 pct 3.0 pct 3.1 pct
Tas 4.7 pct 4.5 pct 5.1 pct
