Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Australia jobs data surprise to upside

Australia jobs data surprise to upside

Australia's May employment data surprised markets with a gain in jobs, sending the nation's currency jumping. Total employment rose by 1,100 last month, with the jobless rate holding steady at 5.5%, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said Thursday. The result beat economists' median expectation for a loss of 10,000 jobs and a rise in the unemployment rate to 5.6%, according to a Dow Jones Newswires survey. On the other hand, the gains came on the back of a 6,400 rise in part-time jobs, with full-time positions falling 5,300. Still, the currency market cheered the news, with the Australian dollar rising from 94.55 U.S. cents ahead of the data, to briefly top the 95-cent level before easing back to 94.84 U.S. cents.

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