Australia's unemployment rate increased to 5.8 pct in Aug.

Australia's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased 0.1 percentage points to 5.8 percent in August, as announced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics ( ABS) Thursday.

The ABS reported the number of people employed decreased by 10, 800 to 11,637,100 in August. The decrease in employment was due to decreased part-time employment, down 8,200 to 3,508,300 and full- time employment, down 2,600 people to 8,128,800. The decrease in total employment was mainly driven by a decrease in male full-time employment and a decrease in female part-time employment.

The number of people unemployed increased by 9,400 people to 714,100 in August, the ABS reported.

The ABS monthly seasonally adjusted aggregate hours worked series showed an increase in August, up 1.1 million hours to 1,650. 0 million hours.

The ABS reported a seasonally adjusted labor force participation rate decrease of 0.1 percentage points to 65 percent in August.

The seasonally adjusted underemployment rate was 7.8 percent in August 2013. Combined with the unemployment rate of 5.8 percent, the latest seasonally adjusted estimate of total labor force underutilisation was 13.7 percent in August.

The Australian dollar dropped sharply to 92.70 U.S. cents from 93.49 U.S. cents just before the report was released.

Australian Financial Review commented that the latest figures add to signs of a weakening labor market that will likely keep the Reserve Bank of Australia's official interest rate at a record low in coming months.