Canberra: Australia’s unemployment rate fell unexpectedly in November, as the country’s economic recovery continued.
The jobless rate dropped to 5.7% last month, from 5.8% in October, as 30,800 new full-time jobs were created, said the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The figure surprised analysts, who had been expecting the unemployment rate to increase in November to 5.9%.
The latest figures raise the prospect that Australia will increase interest rates again.
Earlier this month, the Reserve Bank of Australia increased interest rates to 3.75% from 3.5% – the third month in succession that it had increased the price of borrowing.
– BBC, 10 Dec. 2009
