SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia employment far outpaced expectations for a second straight month in November as firms added to full-time staff, yet the jobless rate still rose as even more people went looking for work.
Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Thursday showed net employment jumped 61,500 in November from October, when it rose a revised 42,700. Market forecasts had been for an increase of around 11,000.
Full-time employment rose by 57,000 in November. The jobless rate still rose to 3.9%, from an upwardly revised 3.8%, the highest reading since May last year. The participation rate climbed to a record high of 67.2%.
(Reporting by Wayne Cole; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
