It's been in decline for almost a year, but the federal government's leading indicator of employment has finally risen.
But before getting too excited about the employment outlook, job opportunities are likely to remain few and far between for now.
The indicator rose in September after falling for 10 consecutive months, but it suggests employment will still grow more slowly than its long-term trend of 1.3 per cent over coming months.
That's because the index anticipates movements in the growth cycle of employment, but with a turning point only confirmed after six consecutive monthly moves in the same direction.
It rose 0.039 index points in September to minus 0.512 points.
Economists expect official labour force data on Thursday will show a modest retreat in the unemployment rate to 6.3 per cent in August after a surprise jump to a 12-year high of 6.4 per cent in July.
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