Jobless rate steady ahead of budget

A solid rise in full-time employment and a stable jobless rate provides a positive backdrop for Treasurer Joe Hockey's first budget.

In the last major piece of economic data before the May 13 budget, the number of people in employment in April rose by 14,200 - all in full-time positions - while the unemployment rate remained at 5.8 per cent.

Economists had expected a rise in the unemployment rate to 5.9 per cent after the surprise fall in March from 6.0 per cent.

Earlier this week, the OECD warned the government not to be too heavy handed in its attempt to get the budget in better shape, predicting unemployment will peak above six per cent and remain stubbornly high into late 2015.

South Australia was the only state to record a decline in the jobless rate in April, tumbling to 6.3 per cent from 7.1 per cent.

In the nation's largest state, NSW, it rose to 5.4 per cent from 5.2 per cent and in Queensland it increased to 6.3 per cent from 6.1 per cent.

In the ACT, which could bear the brunt of the federal government's budget cuts, the unemployment rose to 3.6 per cent from 3.5 per cent.

Rates in Victoria (6.4 per cent), Western Australia (4.9 per cent), Tasmania (7.6 per cent) and the Northern Territory (3.8 per cent) were all unchanged from a month earlier.