Labour force figures released today by the ABS exceeded all market expectations in December 2019, with seasonally adjusted employment rising by 28,900 over the month, to stand at a record high of 12,981,600.
Over the year to December 2019, employment has risen by 262,500 (or 2.1 per cent), above the decade average growth rate, of 1.8 per cent.
Seasonally adjusted full-time employment is now at 152,700 (or 1.8 per cent), which is higher than it was a year ago.
Full-time employment has comprised 58.2 per cent of total employment growth over the last year.
Part-time employment rose by 29,200 in December and is now 109,900 (or 2.7 per cent) higher than it was a year ago.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage points over the month, to 5.1 per cent in December 2019.
The participation rate was steady in December 2019, at 66.0 per cent, but is 0.3 percentage points higher than it was a year ago.
The Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash, welcomed today’s positive figures and noted that while labour force figures can jump around from month-to-month, a total of 1,505,400 jobs had been created since the Government came to office, an increase of 13.1 per cent.
“The Government is also facilitating a record infrastructure spend, which will help create tens of thousands of jobs across the country and also has a plan to create 80,000 apprenticeships,” the Minister stated.
“Today’s data continue to reflect the underlying strength and resilience of the Australian labour market and highlight the success of the Government’s efforts to stimulate ongoing, sustainable jobs growth, even in the face of significant global and domestic headwinds,” the Minister said.
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