The unemployment rate remained at 5.3 per cent in March as a growing number of people found full-time work in the month, Australian Bureau of Statistics data show.
Total employment grew by a seasonally-adjusted 19,600 in March with full-time employment rising by 30,600, offset by a near 11,000 drop in part-time workers.
Economists' forecasts had centred on a 30,000 employment increase in March in a survey conducted by AAP, with unemployment rate remaining at February's level of 5.3 per cent after the unexpected fall to 5.2 per cent in January.
Among the states and territories, South Australia saw a sharp jump in its unemployment rate in March to 5.4 per cent from 4.8 per cent, while in NSW it edged up to 5.5 per cent from 5.4 per cent.
In Victoria it also rose to 5.4 per cent from 5.3 per cent while in Western Australia it was 5.1 per cent versus 5.0 per cent.
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Conversely, the jobless rate in Tasmania dropped to 5.5 per cent from 6.5 per cent, while falling to 5.5 per cent from 5.6 per cent in Queensland and to 3.2 per cent from 3.3 per cent in the Northern Territory.
The rate also fell in the ACT to 3.5 per cent from 3.6 per cent.
