Ahead of tomorrow's Australian.......>

AUSTRALIA DATA: Ahead of tomorrow's Australian Labour Market Report (0030GMT),

analysts at ANZ expect another solid rise in employment for February, extending

the record run of monthly gains. They look for a rise of 20,000 and a tick down

in the unemployment rate to 5.4%.

- CBA have penciled in a lift in jobs of 20k over the month for the unemployment

rate to hold at 5.5%. Sample rotation means that the odds are skewed towards the

participation rate nudging up a touch.

- NAB are expecting unchanged unemployment rate, but for jobs growth to be much

softer (+8k), and the participation rate to soften a touch (65.5%).

- Westpac forecast participation to rise modestly to 65.7% and this will be

enough to see the unemployment rate hold flat at 5.5%.

- Barclays expect employment to remain robust, but the unemployment rate is

likely to be steady amid elevated participation rates.