There are further tentative signs that 2015 could be a better year for job seekers.
The federal government's leading employment indicator rose for a fourth straight month in December, partially reversing the previous 10 months of consecutive falls.
Even so, the figures released on Wednesday suggest employment will grow more slowly than its long-term trend of 1.2 per cent in the next six to nine months.
That is because the index anticipates movements in the growth cycle of employment, but with a turning point confirmed only after six consecutive monthly moves in the same direction.
The indicator rose 0.106 index points in December to minus 0.235 points.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics will release its November labour force figures on Thursday.
Economists expect it will show 15,000 people joined the workforce, but not by enough to prevent the jobless rate rising to a fresh 12-year high of 6.3 per cent, up from 6.2 per cent in October.
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