The unemployment figure rose to 6 per cent in June, after an increase in the number of unemployed people outstripped a slight rise in added job numbers over the month, according to data released this morning from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The result, however, beats economists’ expectations, thanks to a downwardly revised jobless rate in May.

Analysts surveyed by Bloomberg had forecast the unemployment rate to lift to 6.1 per cent in June, predicting a completely flat result for jobs added to the economy during the month.

The ABS originally reported May’s unemployment rate as a 12-month low of 6 per cent, but downwardly revised that figure to 5.9 per cent, on a seasonally adjusted basis.

The ABS said the total number of people employed in Australia increased by only 7300 to 11.769 million in June, on a seasonally adjusted basis.

Meanwhile, the number of unemployed people rose in June, in seasonally adjusted terms, by 12,800 to a total of 756,100.

However, the trend rate for unemployment, which strips out month-to-month volatility, held steady at 6 per cent during the month.

The participation rate, which shows the proportion of the population that have a job, are looking for work or are ready to start working, rose during the month, to 64.8 per cent from 64.7 per cent.

The ABS said the increase in employment was driven by the number of females in full-time work, up by 17,500, and by males in full-time employment, which increased by 7000.

But the increase in full-time numbers was partially offset by falls in part-time employment for females, which dropped by 10,600 jobs, and males, which shrunk by 6600.

The aggregate monthly hours worked lifted in June by 0.3 per cent.