| Surprise Slip in Unemployment in Australia |
| News - Australia |
| Written by ROHAN SULLIVAN, The Associated Press |
| Thursday, 07 May 2009 06:40 |
|
SYDNEY (AP) — Australia's jobless rate slipped marginally in April to 5.4 percent, despite widespread predictions of a further rise in unemployment because of the global economic slowdown.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics data released Thursday showed that more than 27,000 new full- and part-time jobs were created in April, backing Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's claim that his massive stimulus packages were protecting workers and the economy from recession. Some analysts agreed, though even optimists warned the good news would likely be short-lived because the trend was still toward economic contraction and higher unemployment. Others doubted the data's accuracy. |