Latest official labour force data in Australia show the economy added 54,600 new jobs last month.
Radio New Zealand's Sydney correspondent says the figure was more than double what the market expected, taking unemployment rate to 5.2 percent from 5.4 a month earlier.
What's more, all the growth was in full-time employment and the jobless rate is falling even as the participation rises.
So while domestic demand may have eased, the state of the labour market suggests it won't fall off a cliff anytime soon.
Radio New Zealand's correspondent says that's got the market thinking that the Reserve Bank, having kept interest rates on hold last week at 4.75%, may resume tightening sometime in the first half of next year.
