UNEMPLOYMENT in the north fell in August, the first time it has dropped since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics released its detailed labour force statistics on Thursday, revealing the Adelaide-North area’s unemployment rate was 8.6 per cent in September – down from 8.7 per cent in July.

Despite the unemployment rate falling, 300 fewer people were employed, with women accounting for 200 of that figure.

Total labour force numbers – the amount of working-age people either in jobs or looking for work – also fell by around 500 people.

The ABS defines an unemployed person as someone without work who is searching for employment. This disqualifies people who leave their job voluntarily.

The statistics came a week after the ABS released the state’s labour force data, which showed the headline unemployment rate had steadied at 7.9 per cent – now the worst in Australia.

According to jobs and skills minister David Pisoni, 13,400 jobs were created in SA last month and over the past three months, 33,000 people have found work.

Mr Pisoni said despite the state having the highest unemployment in the country, it had the second-highest jobs growth.

“Employee wages have grown four times higher than the national level, while local consumers are rushing back to the shops, with the latest ABS retail figures showing more than $2 billion was spent in July – a 14 per cent jump on the previous year,” he said.

“All of these leading indicators are cause for optimism, and they are coupled with the release this week of stats which show SA leading the nation in the growth of apprentice and trainee commencements.

“Of course, there’s more work to be done, and today’s stats reflect the ongoing challenges ahead.”

South Australia’s labour force increased by one per cent, which accounts for the static jobs rate.