Australia at Loss on Jobs Data as Concern Mounts on Agency Cuts

Australia’s key data agency is at a loss to explain a sudden bout of volatility in jobs figures that forced it to abandon the numbers, as labor unions warn budget cuts are damaging the organization.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics said anything from new survey questions to a waning mining boom could have prompted its seasonal adjustment of raw data to show a record 121,000 jobs gain in August, and if applied in September, a 172,000 loss -- numbers it has since discarded. Analysts speculated that budget and personnel cuts, the lack of a chief statistician and poor survey procedure could be to blame.