Australia: Unemployment rate falls in December
Latest reading: Labour market conditions improved toward the end of the year, with the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate easing to 4.1% in December from 4.3% in November, coming in well below market expectations. This represented the lowest level of joblessness since May.
At the same time, employment rebounded strongly. Total employment expanded by 65,200 in December, comfortably outperforming expectations, after an upwardly revised contraction of 28,700 in November. The recovery was led primarily by gains in full-time positions, alongside a more modest increase in part-time roles, pushing overall employment to a new record high.