February sees 47,000 new jobs created
MORE than 47,000 new jobs were created in February, despite the unemployment rate steady at 6% and a fall in number of hours worked over the month.
The latest jobs figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed the jobless rate went up 0.1 of a percentage point, but failed to nudge the overall estimate of 6% for February.
It also revealed the biggest single rise in employed people in two years, up 47,300 to just over 11.5 million during the month, on the back of a huge 80,500 extra full-time jobs created.
The rise in total employment was driven by both full-time jobs for women and part-time jobs for men, while the number of people unemployed also rose 9,800 to 74,200.
The number of new full-time jobs created in Queensland rose by 17,000, while New South Wales saw a jump of about 50,000 new jobs, gains which were offset by falls in other states.
While hours worked rose over most of 2013, the February figures marked a steep fall, down 14 million hours worked to 1.6 billion hours worked around the nation.
