Australia's unemployment rate rose to 4.6% in August, above economists' 4.5% forecast, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Thursday. Employment increased by 39,500 versus an expected 20,000, while the participation rate rose to 67.1% from 66.9%. ABS head of labour statistics Sean Crick said the share of people moving into unemployment from outside the labour force was higher than in recent years. The report is the last major data point before the Reserve Bank of Australia's end-September

Australia's unemployment rate rose to 4.6% in August, above economists' 4.5% forecast, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Thursday. Employment increased by 39,500 versus an expected 20,000, while the participation rate rose to 67.1% from 66.9%. ABS head of labour statistics Sean Crick said the share of people moving into unemployment from outside the labour force was higher than in recent years. The report is the last major data point before the Reserve Bank of Australia's end-September meeting and complicates the RBA's 'slightly tight' labour market assessment: higher participation may reflect a stronger labour supply or rising cost-of-living pressure driving more people to seek work.