SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian employment rose modestly in January as a surge in coronavirus cases put a big dent in hours worked, while the jobless rate remained at the lowest in 13 years amid record-high vacancies.
Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Thursday showed employment rose 12,900 in January, which was just above market forecasts of a flat outcome and follows two months of exceptional gains.
The unemployment rate held at 4.2%, matching the lowest reading since August 2008 when it bottomed out at 4.0%. The Omicron wave caused a steep 8.8% slide in hours worked as employees stayed home sick or were forced to isolate.
(Reporting by Wayne Cole; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
