Australia's Unemployment Remains at 4.3%, Labor Force Participation Falls Slightly
Australia's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 4.3% in March 2026, unchanged from the previous month and in line with market expectations. While stable, this level remains the highest since last November, amid changing labor market dynamics.
The number of unemployed fell by 3,700 to 656,300 from 660,100 in February. Part-time job seekers fell by 3,800 to 217,500, while full-time job seekers rose by 4,600 to 438,800, indicating a slight shift in the structure of job search.
In terms of employment, total employment rose by 17,900 to 14.77 million, slightly below the 20,000 increase expected, after February's increase was revised upward to 49,600. Full-time employment rose by 52,500 to 10.17 million, while part-time employment fell by 34,600 to 4.59 million, so net growth was largely driven by full-time employment.
On the other hand, the participation rate fell slightly to 66.8% from 66.9% (below market expectations), which helped keep the unemployment rate flat. Underemployment remained at 5.9%, while total monthly hours worked rose by 9 million to 2.016 million, signaling that work activity is still increasing, although job growth is not as strong as the previous month. (asd)*
Source: Newsmaker.id
