ABS says total number of people with jobs rose 15,600 in February, with full-time employment rising 10,300 and part-time employment up 5,300

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Australia’s unemployment rate has eased to 6.3% from its previous 6.4%, which was a 12-year high, as jobs were added to the economy and more people dropped out of the labour force.

The total number of people with jobs rose 15,600 to 11.652m in February, with full-time employment rising 10,300 and part-time employment up 5,300.

The participation rate – the number of people who have a job, are looking for work or are ready to start work – fell to 64.6%, the Australian Bureau of statistics said on Thursday.