Monthly Statistical Bulletin
1.2 Unemployment
Month	2004–05	2005–06	2006–07	2007–08	2008–09
Number unemployed (a) – '000
July	567.8	525.7	502.8	470.3	481.7
August	567.1	520.5	509.1	476.7	459.5
September	553.4	528.6	503.8	462.1	482.2
October	529.8	533.6	482.3	478.0	488.7
November	536.3	521.9	487.6	490.0	496.6
December	525.3	531.6	491.3	468.1
January	526.7	541.3	486.2	457.6
February	531.1	540.4	498.6	438.0
March	545.2	519.0	486.4	455.6
April	540.1	529.1	476.7	477.3
May	538.8	513.6	466.4	476.8
June	523.5	516.4	474.0	476.6
Annual average	540.5	527.1	489.0	468.0
Unemployment rate (a) (b) – per cent
July	5.6	5.0	4.7	4.3	4.3
August	5.6	4.9	4.7	4.3	4.1
September	5.4	5.0	4.7	4.2	4.3
October	5.1	5.1	4.5	4.3	4.3
November	5.2	4.9	4.5	4.4	4.4
December	5.1	5.0	4.5	4.2
January	5.1	5.1	4.5	4.1
February	5.1	5.1	4.6	3.9
March	5.2	4.9	4.5	4.1
April	5.1	5.0	4.4	4.3
May	5.1	4.8	4.3	4.3
June	5.0	4.8	4.3	4.3
Annual average	5.2	5.0	4.5	4.2
(a) Monthly figures are seasonally adjusted.
(b) Number unemployed as a proportion of the labour force.
Source: ABS, Labour force, Cat. no. 6202.0								Update
								15 January 2009