Australia employment rate drops to 5.4% in October, job growth slows

Omkar Godbole FXStreet Contributor

The jobless rate in Australia fell to 5.4% in October, but the pace of growth in jobs slowed. The economy added 3.7K jobs missing the estimated figure of 17.5K. The participation rate ticked lower to 65.1% from 65.2%. Full-Time jobs rose 24.3k in October versus 6.1k in September.

October Key Points

TREND ESTIMATES (MONTHLY CHANGE)

Employment increased 20,000 to 12,301,200.
Unemployment decreased 3,000 to 709,400.
Unemployment rate remained steady at 5.5%.
Participation rate remained steady at 65.2%.
Monthly hours worked in all jobs increased 3.5 million hours (0.2%) to 1,720.3 million hours.

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED ESTIMATES (MONTHLY CHANGE)

Employment increased 3,700 to 12,297,100. Full-time employment increased 24,300 to 8,425,400 and part-time employment decreased 20,700 to 3,871,700.
Unemployment decreased 8,100 to 701,500. The number of unemployed persons looking for full-time work remained steady at 485,900 and the number of unemployed persons only looking for part-time work decreased 8,100 to 215,600.
Unemployment rate decreased 0.1 pts to 5.4%.
Participation rate decreased 0.1 pts to 65.1%.
Monthly hours worked in all jobs increased 4.6 million hours (0.3%) to 1,723.7 million hours.

Author

Omkar Godbole

FXStreet Contributor

Omkar Godbole, editor and analyst, joined FXStreet after four years as a research analyst at several Indian brokerage companies.

AUD/USD sticks to positive bias above 0.7100; lacks bullish conviction

AUD/USD trades with a positive bias for the second straight day, holding above 0.7100 in the Asian session on Friday as softer US bond yields keep US Dollar bulls on the back foot. Furthermore, hawkish RBA Governor Bullock's comments boost rate hike bets and support the Aussie. However, the Fed's hawkish outlook, along with geopolitical uncertainties, limits USD losses and caps the pair.

USD/JPY approaches 158.00 as Japanese Yen resumes decline

USD/JPY is resuming its upside in the European session on Friday, refreshing two-week highs and nearing 158.00. The Japanese Yen extends losses, despite the Bank of Japan's (BoJ) expected rate hike to 1.25% and hawkish Governor Ueda's comments, as two surprise dissents against the rate hike weigh on it.

Gold: Upside remains capped by $4,400

Gold adds to the optimism seen in the second half of the week, trading with decent gains around the $4,370 region per troy ounce on Friday. The yellow metal’s advance finds traction in declining crude oil prices, and manages to offset the continuation of the move higher in the US Dollar and rising US Treasury yields across the curve.

Why altcoin season isn't coming back — and what stole its capital

If, after two years of being frozen in ice, Katara and Sokka woke you up to the crypto market, it would seem like 100 years have passed. With Bitcoin soaring to record highs just over a year ago, everyone expected a routine altcoin season, where investors take profits from the top crypto to chase higher returns in altcoins.

BoJ Recap: Not as hawkish as expected

The BoJ raised its short-term interest-rate target to 1.25% from 1.00% in a 7-2 vote, marking another step in the normalisation of monetary policy and widely matching what everyone has been expecting for weeks. Governor Kazuo Ueda said the policy phase had changed.

BoJ Recap: Not as hawkish as expected

The Bank of Japan (BoJ) raised its short-term interest-rate target to 1.25% from 1.00% in a 7-2 vote, marking another step in the normalisation of monetary policy and widely matching what everyone has been expecting for weeks.