Jobless rate up, despite employment surge

* Unemployment rate - seven per cent versus 6.9 per cent in September

* Underemployment rate (employed people seeking additional work) - 10.4 per cent versus 11.4 per cent

* Employment rose 178,800

* Full-time rose 97,000

* Part-time rose 81,800

* Participation rate (people working or looking for work): 65.8 per cent versus 64.9 per cent

STATE UNEMPLOYMENT RATES

NSW - 6.5 per cent in October vs 7.1 per cent in September

Vic - 7.4 per cent vs 6.7 per cent

Qld - 7.7 per cent vs 7.6 per cent

SA - 7.0 per cent vs 6.9 per cent

WA - 6.6 per cent vs 6.7 per cent

Tas - 8.2 per cent vs 7.7 per cent

NT - 5.7 per cent vs 4.7 per cent

ACT - 3.9 per cent vs 3.8 per cent

(Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics)

Australian Associated Press