SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian employment missed forecasts in October to end four straight months of big gains, although the unemployment rate held steady as labor market trends remained firm.
Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Thursday showed employment rose by 15,900 in October from September, when it jumped by 61,300. That was below market forecasts for an increase of 25,000, with annual job growth still running at 2.7%.
The unemployment rate held at 4.1%, while the participation rate fell to 67.1% from an all-time high of 67.2%.
