A total of 31,900 people found employment across the nation as Western Australia's unemployment rate fell to 3.1 per cent in August, with business seemingly undeterred in hiring staff by last month's interest rate rise.
A total of 31,900 people found employment across the nation as Western Australia's unemployment rate fell to 3.1 per cent in August, with business seemingly undeterred in hiring staff by last month's interest rate rise.
A total of 31,900 people found employment across the nation as Western Australia's unemployment rate fell to 3.1 per cent in August, with business seemingly undeterred in hiring staff by last month's interest rate rise.
The State's unemployment rate dropped from 3.2 per cent last month, while the rest of the country remained steady.
Nationally, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said the unemployment rate stayed at a near 33-year low of 4.3 per cent for a fourth straight month, as expected by economists.
The ABS said the seasonally adjusted rise in employment included 29,100 full-time workers.
Economists had expected total employment to rise by 18,700 in August, but they had also seen the risk of the jobless rate rising with more people looking for work following the federal government's introduction of the Welfare for Work scheme on July 1.
Last month, 3,300 new jobs were created in WA, bringing the State's participation rate to 68.6 per cent - the highest of all the States in Australia.
The national participation rate, of people in or actively seeking work, remained at 65 per cent in July.
The Reserve Bank of Australia left interest rates unchanged yesterday after its August rate rise on signs of renewed inflation pressures.
Some economists see a risk of a further rate rise in November should key inflation data on October 24 point to further price pressures.
A still tight labour market will only fuel such expectations.
Among the states, the jobless rate in NSW remained at 4.7 per cent in August, while in Victoria it rose to 4.7 per cent from 4.4 per cent.
In Queensland the unemployment rate was 3.5 per cent compared with 3.6 per cent previously, in South Australia it fell to 4.7 per cent from 4.9 per cent.
In Tasmania, the rate rose to 5.3 per cent from 4.9 per cent, in the Northern Territory it remained at 4.6 per cent and in the ACT it held at 2.8 per cent.