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DJ ANZ Australia Newspaper Job Ads Rose 2.0% In Mar Vs Feb(Comtex Business Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)SYDNEY, Apr 02, 2006 (Dow Jones Commodities News Select via Comtex) --The number of job advertisements in Australian newspapers rose 2% after seasonal adjustment in March compared to the previous month to an average of 20,363 ads per week, Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd., which compiles the data from major newspapers, said Monday. Despite the first rise in newspaper jobs ads since November 2005, the result was still 4.7% lower than the same month last year, the bank said. The number of Internet job ads rose 2.5% in March from February to an average of 165,682, contributing to an on year increase of 27.2% in seasonally adjusted terms. Total job advertisements in newspapers and on the Internet rose 2.4% in March from February contributing to a 22.7% on year increase in seasonally adjusted terms. "The latest data suggest that the softness in employment growth apparent from mid-2005 will continue for a few more months yet," ANZ chief economist Saul Eslake said in a statement. "Growth in employment won't be sufficient to absorb all the new entrants to the labor force with the result that the unemployment rate will continue its recent trend rise." Australian Newspaper Job Ads ========================================================= Period Avg Wkly No. Of Ads Month Year-On-Year Mar 06 20,363 +2.0% -4.7% Feb 06 19,972 -2.0% -9.2% Mar 05 21,376 -2.8% -2.3% ========================================================= (All data are seasonally adjusted.) Job ads are considered an indicator of current business activity and employment trends. The trend series, which further smoothes the data, fell 0.5% in March from February for the 16th consecutive monthly decline. Job ads were 7.2% lower year on year in March in trend terms. -By Owen Brown, Dow Jones Newswires; 612 8235 2964; [email protected] -Edited by Graham Morgan (END) Dow Jones Newswires 04-02-06 2130ET |