Australia’s Jobless Rate Holds at 4.1 Percent as Workforce Shrinks

The economy lost 52,800 jobs, far below expectations of a 30,000-job increase.

Hundreds of people queue outside an Australian government welfare centre, Centrelink, in Melbourne on March 23, 2020. William West/AFP via Getty Images

Australia’s job market is facing fresh challenges as employment declined by 52,800 jobs in February, while workforce participation fell to 66.8 percent, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

The job losses, which came against expectations of a 30,000-job increase, were partially offset by a steady 4.1 percent unemployment rate.