In the September 2018 quarter, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 3.9 percent, down from 4.4 percent (revised) in the June 2018 quarter.

For women, the unemployment rate fell to 4.0 percent, down from 4.6 percent last quarter. For men, the unemployment rate fell to 3.9 percent, down from 4.2 percent.

The number of unemployed people fell 13,000 (down 10.5 percent) to 109,000. This mainly reflected 11,000 fewer unemployed youth (15–24-year-olds).

The fall in the unemployment rate in the latest quarter reflected a fall in the number of unemployed people and a strong rise in employment.

This fall, in tandem with a fall in underemployment, was key to the underutilisation rate falling to 11.3 percent, down from 12.0 percent last quarter.