Australia's Unemployment Rates Surge This Month

The nation's rate of unemployment has taken a big jump in the past month, with around 40,000 more people without work across the country.

As states and territories open up their borders and limitations, the unemployment figures are damning. The number of those out of work leaped from 4.6% in September, to 5.2% in October.

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese says the Federal government is beginning to spiral without new ideas.

"You need a government that can have consistency of policy, can look at what the future will look like, implement policies to shape that future in the interests of people," the opposition leader said.

"If you don't do that, the future will shape you."

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg had fighting words despite the sudden uptake in employment, citing lockdowns as detrimental to the open market.

"When this data was taken more than a month ago, half the country was in lockdown. Since that data was taken more than a month ago, the economy has turned a corner. Business and consumer confidence is both up."

For all the key figures and statistics relating to employment, head to: abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/employment-and-unemployment/labour-force-australia/latest-release

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