More needed to boost job numbers, Abetz

Most employment ministers would be jumping for joy if the number of jobless fell by more than 20,000 in a month.

Not Eric Abetz.

The unemployment rate fell to 5.8 per cent in March from a decade-high of 6.1 per cent in February.

While encouraged by the surprise fall, the federal employment minister was cautioning against reading too much into one month's numbers.

That's because the number of people looking for work declined.

"We need to continue to push ahead with our job-creating policies," he said in a statement on Thursday.

Senator Abetz specifically referred to government legislation abolishing the carbon and mining taxes, reducing red tape re-establishing the Australian Building and Construction Commission which is being held up in the Senate.

He believes the measures will create the environment for business to take on more people as well as encourage greater participation in the job market.