The state added almost 122,000 full-time jobs over the past year and another 30,000 part-time positions. But the state’s female unemployment rate lifted to 4.9 per cent compared to 3.6 per cent a year ago.

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Queensland created almost as many total jobs as NSW, of which 63,900 have been full-time.

Employment Minister Murray Watt said more than a million jobs had been created since the government came to office in 2022.

“This is the most jobs ever created in a single parliamentary term by any Australian government,” he said.

“This is a remarkable achievement in the context of a slowing economy and a labour market that’s expected to soften.”

But Liberal employment spokeswoman Michaelia Cash said that “behind the figures” there were concerning trends.

“The jobs growth is now happening in the public sector, not the private sector,” she said.

Financial markets had believed there was a chance the Reserve Bank could use its pre-Christmas meeting in mid-December to deliver a surprise rate cut. But that evaporated after the stronger-than-expected job figures.

EY senior economist Paula Gadsby said next week’s September quarter inflation figures would give a clearer indication of how quickly price pressures are easing across the economy.

“But with the labour market operating at a level above full employment, the Reserve Bank remains alert to the risk the strong jobs market poses to inflation – especially if productivity growth remains weak. This is one of the key reasons the Reserve Bank is not ready to lower the cash rate just yet,” she said.

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AMP economist My Bui said the unemployment rate – which has been around 4.1 per cent for six months – remained low despite strong population growth and a slowing economy.

“While cost-of-living pressures may have pushed more households to enter the labour force to look for work, the fact that many of these people are still able to be matched to jobs is a good outcome for job seekers,” she said.

“The data confirmed the RBA’s worries that the elevated level of aggregate demand in our economy is still above supply, and absent a material weakening in trimmed mean inflation or household consumption, the Reserve Bank will likely retain its current hawkish position until next year.”