The state’s unemployment rate, in seasonally adjusted terms, dropped from 5.6 per cent in May to 5.4 per cent, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics data released today.

The more stable trend rate was unchanged at 5.6 per cent.

However, South Australia’s participation rate also dropped slightly – by a nation-leading 0.2 percentage points in seasonally adjusted terms. The participation rate measures the proportion of people either in work or looking for a job.

On the headline figures, only NSW recorded a better result than South Australia, which has regularly posted the worst unemployment figures of the states over the recent years.

The result is the lowest unemployment rate for South Australia since 2012 and puts the state on par with the national figure, which remained steady from May.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics

Nationally, employment grew by a better-than-expected 50,900 jobs and the participation rate rose by 0.2 points to 65.7 per cent.

Market forecasts showed economists were expecting an increase of 16,500 jobs and an unemployment rate of 5.4 per cent.

– with AAP