WA’s jobless rate has tumbled to its lowest level in more than a year as an increasing number of people find full time work across the State.

Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics today showed the State’s unemployment rate down to 5.5 per cent in May. It had been 5.5 per cent in April.

It was driven by a 4400 increase in the number of people with full time work which, at 934,100, was back at its highest level since late 2015.

The increase in total employment also saw a fall in the number of West Australians out of work which edged down to its lowest level since March last year.

Nationally, the country’s unemployment rate fell to 5.5 per cent from 5.7 per cent. Analysts had been expecting it to be steady or to increase slightly.

Full time employment jumped by 52,100 with just one State, South Australia, recording a fall in the number of full time workers.

The jobless rate actually increased in NSW to 4.8 per cent from 4.7 per cent and in Tasmania to 6.1 per cent from 59.

But it fell in Victoria to 6 per cent, Queensland (to 6.1 per cent), South Australia (to 6.9 per cent), the Northern Territory (to 3.2 per cent) and the ACT (to 3.5 per cent).