Strong jobs numbers muddy the waters around potential rate cut
A strengthening labour market could deter the Reserve Bank from making an immediate cut to interest rates.
Australia’s unemployment rate rose to 4.0 per cent in December from 3.9 per cent in November, according to the official data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Thursday.
While the slight uptick in the jobless figure was in line with market forecasts, what is now less clear is the direction the Reserve Bank of Australia will take when it announces its next interest rates decision on 18 February.
The rise in the unemployment f…