FXStreet reports that according to Economist at UOB Group, Lee Sue Ann, the jobless rate in Australia is seen picking up pace towards the end of the year.

“Australia's jobless rate unexpectedly slipped from a 22-year high of 7.5% in July, to 6.8% in August, as employment surged past expectations helped by part-time work… Despite the improvement in unemployment, the underemployment rate remained elevated at 11.2%, 2.4 percentage points above the level in March.”

“Whilst the latest numbers definitely came as a surprise, job gains were held back by Victoria, where employment fell 1.3% m/m in August.”

“We still look for unemployment in Australia to climb higher into year-end before gradually recovering in later part of 2021, provided COVID-19 developments comes under control as expected (i.e. state borders opened by year-end but international borders not until this time next year) and there is a strong stimulus package in the October budget.”