Last month, employment growth was basically flat (slightly negative). Participation decreased. The signs were ominous. Today’s release of the – Labour Force data – for January 2016 by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that those ominous signs have worsened. Total employment growth fell again with massive drops in full-time jobs, unemployment increased sharply and the unemployment rose by 0.2 per cent on the back of the declining employment and steady participation. The teenage labour market continued to deteriorate with the adjusted unemployment rate (taking into account the sharp fall in participation since the downturn) of 28.2 per cent rather than the official estimate for January 2016 of 18.3 per cent. Overall, with private investment forecast to decline further over the next 12 months, the Australian labour market is looking pretty wan indeed.