Australia's unemployment rate was steady at 5.7 per cent in May, official figures show, which was better than market expectations.

The total number of people with jobs rose by 17,900 in the month, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Thursday, which was better than expectations of a rise of 17,000.

Full-time employment was steady, with the growth in employment coming entirely in part-time jobs.

The participation rate, which refers to the number of people either employed or actively looking for work, was steady at 64.8 per cent.