53,000 full-time jobs lost in Australia

MORE than 50,000 full-time jobs disappeared in Australia last month - replaced by more than 40,000 part-time positions.

Despite this, Australia's official unemployment rate has fallen to 5.6% - only because the number of people looking for work dropped.

There are now 54,100 less full-time jobs than nine months ago and 130,000 more part-time jobs.

The fall in unemployment was driven by a drop in the participation rate - those looking for work -  from 64.7 to 64.5 per cent.

The Bureau of Statistics estimates that 53,000 full-time positions disappeared in September, only partly replaced by 43,200 new part-time jobs.