Australia’s jobless rate rose to 3.9 per cent in November, from an upwardly revised 3.8 per cent in October.

Roughly 61,000 jobs were added to the economy in the month, Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show, which was well above a 10,600 lift pencilled in by forecasters.

“With employment increasing by 61,000 people, and the number of unemployed people rising by 19,000, the unemployment rate rose to 3.9 per cent in November,” ABS head of labour statistics Bjorn Jarvis said.

A combination of strong growth in both employment and unemployment in November saw the employment-to-population ratio return to a record high of 64.6 per cent, and the participation rate reach a new high of 67.2 per cent.

“We have continued to see employment growth keeping pace with high population growth through 2023,” Mr Jarvis said.

The labour market has been described as resilient for much of this year though signs of weakness have been creeping in.

Falling job advertisements and vacancies suggest the labour market is loosening, though both indicators remain above historical normals.

– AAP