Australia employment falls by 21,400 in June

Published: 08 Jul 2009 17:39:32 PST

SYDNEY, July 9 - Australian employment estimates for June, released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Thursday.

June '09 May '09 June '08 Unemployment rate 5.8 pct 5.7 pct 4.2 pct Employed 10.763 mln 10.784 mln 10.788 mln Unemployed 662,900 655,500 476,400 Participation rate 65.3 pct 65.4 pct 65.5 pct

The employment fall of 21,400 in June was made up of a fall of 21,900 in full-time employment, while part-time employment rose by 400.

A Reuters poll showed market forecasts of a fall of 25,000 in employment, with the unemployment rate rising to 5.9 percent -- a six-year high -- and the participation rate edging down to 65.4 percent.

For details, the Australian Bureau of Statistics Web site is www.abs.gov.au.