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Employment
Australian unemployment falls to 4.1% in December
Fresh Australian labour force data surprised to the upside in December, with stronger-than-expected job gains pushing the unemployment rate lower, according to figures released Thursday by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The unemployment rate fell to 4.1% in December from 4.3% in November on a seasonally adjusted basis. Employment rose by 65,200 over the month, with gains split between full-time employment, which increased by 55,000, and part-time employment, which rose by 10,000. The result defied expectations of a modest easing in labour market conditions. Markets were expecting the unemployment rate to edge up to 4.4%, alongside employment growth of around 30,000 and a participation rate of 66.8%. ABS head of labour statistics Sean Crick noted that younger workers played a key role in the stronger outcome. “This month we saw more 15–24 year olds moving into employment, contributing to the rise in overall employment and the fall in the unemployment rate,” he said. Employment growth was driven primarily by men, with male employment rising by 49,000 people, while female employment increased by 17,000. “The growth in employed people led to the participation rate rising slightly to 66.7%,” Mr Crick said.
Employment
Report: Long-distance work reshaping the labour market
The working-from-home era - once a response to the pandemic - has evolved into a structural shift with deep implications for workers, households, and businesses. Research reports this year from ADP, Robert Half, Roy Morgan, and CEDA show that remote work is not just persisting - it's fundamentally reshaping how we think about talent, productivity, and economic opportunity.The democratisation of long-distance workAccording to ADP Research, long-distance hiring is no longer just a strategy for the tech giants or megacorporations. Mid-sized and even smaller companies are now actively recruiting and managing remote talent. Workers now have access to a wider range of job opportunities, even if they live far from corporate headquarters - it’s no longer limited to satellite offices of the biggest firms. Employers, on the other hand, are more willing to tap talent across geographic boundaries. This “thickening” of the labour market means both sides can make better matches. There’s also a financial dimension: ADP’s research shows cost savings from geographic pay arbitrage are being shared between employers and remote workers, improving compensation outcomes for some. Remote work has become a levelling force in hiring, not ju
Employment
US payrolls rise 64k in delayed November release
United States nonfarm payrolls rose by more than expected in November, while October employment fell sharply and the unemployment rate climbed to its highest level in four years, according to delayed figures released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on Tuesday following the recent government shutdown. Payrolls increased by a seasonally adjusted 64,000 in November, beating market expectations for a gain of 50,000 and rebounding from a revised decline of 105,000 in October. Despite the improvement, the data pointed to continued softness in the U.S. labour market. The unemployment rate also rose to 4.6%, exceeding the 4.4% expected, marking its highest level since September 2021. A broader measure of unemployment that includes discouraged workers and those working part-time for economic reasons increased to 8.7%, the highest level since August 2021. ANZ analysts commented in a note to clients: “Today’s data were consistent with our view that further easing from the Fed in 2026 is appropriate, and we continue to forecast 25bp cuts in both March and June. "The unemployment rate is now at its highest level since early 2017, excluding the pandemic. While the labour market reports were soft, the data need to be tr
Employment
US jobless claims post largest increase since pandemic
Applications for new United States unemployment benefits surged by the largest amount since the pandemic, underscoring a volatile market at this time of year. Initial claims jumped by 44,000 to 236,000 for the week ending 6 December, according to data from the Labor Department. This marks the largest increase since March 2020 and follows the lowest level of applications in more than three years reported last week. It was also higher than the 220,000 forecast by Reuters. In the week ending 29 November, there were 192,000 claims, a decrease of 26,000. The current dramatic increase can be partly attributed to difficulties adjusting data around the Thanksgiving holiday. Economists also continue to describe the U.S. labour market in a “no hire, no fire” state, despite a slew of layoffs announced by major companies like Amazon. The jump in claims suggests a gradual rise in the unemployment rate after it already rose to 4.4% in September from 4.3% in October. The Fed’s recent Summary of Economic Projections estimated the jobless rate at 4.5% this year and easing slightly to 4.4% in 2026. The Fed also cut its benchmark overnight interest rate by another 25 points to the 3.50% to 3.75% range; however, policymaker
Employment
Australian unemployment rate remains steady at 4.3%
The unemployment rate remained unchanged in November at 4.3% according to fresh data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). According to ABS head of labour statistics, Sean Crick, the unemployment rate has remained at 4.3% in five of the last six months. “Both the number of unemployed and employed people fell in November, by 2,000 and by 21,000 respectively,” he said. Full-time employment fell by 57,000, with males (40,000) falling at a much higher rate than females (16,000). Part-time employment rose by 35,000 and was partially offset by the fall in full-time employment. More females started working part-time than males, with both rising by 29,000 and 6,000, respectively. “With the fall in the number of employed and unemployed people in November, the participation rate fell by 0.2 percentage points to 66.7%,” Crick said. “The number of employed people has risen 1.3% over the past 12 months, which is weaker than the 2.0% growth in population.” The employment-to-population ratio fell by 0.2 percentage points to 63.8% this month. While the unemployment rate remained steady, underemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points to 6.2% in November. This is also 0.1 percentage points higher than the same

Employment
US job openings rise; labour market shows renewed strain
United States job openings inched higher in October, but a broad softening across key labour indicators signalled growing unease in the employment market as the Federal Reserve commenced its two-day policy meeting. The Labor Department’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), released on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT), showed vacancies rising by 12,000 to 7.67 million at the end of October. The reading far exceeded market expectations for 7.2 million openings, aided by the inclusion of delayed September data, which had been withheld due to the 43-day federal government shutdown. September’s openings surged by 431,000 to 7.658 million, marking the strongest monthly gain in nearly a year. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also noted that it had temporarily suspended the use of its monthly alignment methodology for October’s preliminary estimates because of the backlog, with normal procedures set to resume when the final October numbers are published. October’s gains were concentrated in the trade, transportation and utilities sector, which reported 239,000 vacancies, driven largely by retailers preparing for the holiday period. Professional and business services saw 114,000 fewer openings, while accommodation and f
Employment
US jobless claims hit 3yr low; jobs cuts at 71.3k
United States weekly jobless claims fell to their lowest level in more than three years, easing fears of a steep downturn in labour market conditions after independent reports showed job losses accelerating in November. The U.S Department of Labor reported on Thursday that initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped by 27,000 to a seasonally adjusted 191,000 for the week ended 29 November, the weakest level since September 2022. While holiday-related distortions around Thanksgiving may have contributed to the unexpected decline, the data continued to signal a labour market stuck in a holding pattern. Unadjusted claims slumped by 49,419 to 197,221 last week, more than twice the 21,172 drop anticipated by seasonal factors. Filings fell sharply in California, down 19,551, and dropped 8,349 in Texas, with sizeable declines also recorded in New York, Washington state and Florida. Independent trackers, however, painted a different picture. Revelio Labs, which compiles monthly employment estimates from online profiles and other sources, said the economy shed 9,000 jobs in November. That followed ADP’s report on Wednesday showing private payrolls suffered their largest monthly fall in more than two and a half
Employment
ADP: US private payrolls fall 32,000 in November
Unites States private-sector employment unexpectedly contracted in November, with Automatic Data Processing (ADP) Research reporting a decline of 32,000 jobs as small businesses bore the brunt of the losses. ADP’s estimate for November private employment fell by 32,000, versus market expectations for an increase of 10,000. The figure represented a reversal from October’s upwardly revised addition of 47,000 positions. The weakness was concentrated among smaller firms. ADP said establishments with fewer than 50 employees recorded a collective decline of 120,000 jobs, including a fall of 74,000 among companies employing 20 to 49 workers. By contrast, larger businesses, defined by ADP as firms with 50 or more employees, reported a net increase of 90,000 workers. Sectoral results were mixed. Education and health services led gains with 33,000 hires and leisure and hospitality added 13,000. However, those increases were swamped by broad-based declines elsewhere. Professional and business services recorded the largest single-sector loss, with a drop of 26,000. Information services shed 20,000 positions, manufacturing fell by 18,000, and both financial activities and construction each saw declines of 9,000. Wage growth a
Employment
US jobless claims hit lowest level since April
Applications for unemployment benefits in the United States fell last week to their lowest level since April. Initial claims for the state of unemployment benefits dropped 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted 216,000 for the week ending 22 November. This is lower than the forecasted 225,000 by Reuters. However, continuing claims, a measure for the number of people receiving benefits, grew to 1.96 million in the previous week, according to Labor Department data released Wednesday. This data indicates that employers are largely retaining current employees while pulling back on hiring new ones. Economists say this “no hire, no fire” labour market has been driven by President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade and immigration policies. However, some companies, like Amazon, announced they will be increasing the number of job cuts as they integrate artificial intelligence into their business. Recurring claims have been on an upward trend since September and remain near levels last seen when the labour market was recovering from the pandemic. While new claims have subsided, it seems it's become harder for the unemployed to find a new job. This comes as the Consumer Confidence Index falls, indicating a pessimistic view o