Part-time surge offsets full-time dip

A SURGE in part-time positions has offset a fall in fulltime roles to give Australia a record 16 consecutive months of jobs growth and an unemployment rate of 5.5 per cent.

The total number of people with jobs rose 16,000 last month, according to official figures released yesterday.

It came as the addition of 65,900 part-time jobs offset a fall of 49,800 full-time positions. CommSec chief economist Craig James said the long run of monthly jobs growth eclipsed the previous record run, achieved in 1993 and 1994.

“Overall, the job market is clearly in great shape,” Mr James said.

The figures were largely consistent with economists’ expectations, and the unemployment rate was slightly down from December after an upward revision by the Australian Bureau of Statistics for that month, from 5.5 per cent to 5.6 per cent.

The participation rate — broadly the proportion of people employed or actively looking for work — fell 0.1 per cent in January to 65.6 per cent.

ANZ senior economist Felicity Emmett said an upward trend in job advertising suggest there was further improvement ahead for the labour market.