MNI: Australia August Labour Data Sees Unemp at 6-yr Low

     SYDNEY (MNI) - Australia added more jobs in September, pushing the

unemployment rate to a fresh 6-year low, data from the Australian Bureau of

Statistics, published Thursday, showed.

     --The number of employed rose a seasonally-adjusted 5,600 in September. The

number of unemployed fell 37,200, back on a declining track after an upward blip

in August. 

     --The rise in employment was due to increase in full-time jobs that rose

20,300 s the fourth straight monthly rise in full-time jobs. Total rise in

full-time jobs this year was 120,000. Part-time jobs fell by 14,700 in

September.

      Below are key details of the labor force data for August

                                           September                      August

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                          (M/M, seasonally adjusted)  (M/M, seasonally adjusted)

Employed Persons                              +5,600                     +44,000

MNI Consensus

Full-time Employment                          20,300                     +33,700

Part-time Employment                         -14,700                     +10,200

Unemployment Rate                               5.0%          5.3% (no revision)

MNI Consensus

Participation Rate                             65.4%                       65.7%

MNI Consensus

Unemployed Persons                           -37,200                      +5,800

Employment to Population

Underemployment Rate                            8.3%                        8.3%

Underutilization Rate                          13.3%                       13.5%

--MNI London Bureau; tel: +44 203-586-2225; email: les.commons@marketnews.com

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