Full-time employment reaches record high despite jobless rate rising to 5.8 percent in June

Employment Minister Michaelia Cash has latched on to new economic figures that show record high full-time employment, despite the jobless rate edging up to 5.8 percent.

The rise in unemployment was the first increase this year and follows three months of stability at 5.7 percent.

Total employment grew by just 7900 in June, with a 34,800 jump in full-time employment pared back by a fall in part-time workers.

"Almost 12 million Australians are in jobs and that is very good news," Ms Cash said.

Ms Cash said the government was not about to rest on its laurels.

"That is why every policy we took to the election was very much a policy that was based on how do we stimulate business to create jobs," she said.

Labor's employment spokesman Brendan O'Connor viewed the jobs result cautiously, and cited a change of sampling undertaken by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Mr O'Connor said unemployment remains stubbornly high, compared with the 5.1 per cent average under the previous Labor government even when it was dealing with the global financial crisis.

He said the Turnbull government's jobs and growth slogan was a cliche.

"Underneath that slogan there is literally nothing," Mr O'Connor said.