Victoria's Elevated Unemployment Rate Drags Down National Average

Australia's unemployment rate has risen to 4.5 per cent in July, higher than expected.

The increase comes despite a drop of 16,000 employed people and an additional 4,000 unemployed individuals.

Victoria continues to have the highest unemployment rate at 5.1 per cent, well above NSW's 4.2 per cent and Queensland's 4.2 per cent.

Ross Greenwood, News24 Business Editor, stated that this disparity makes it challenging for the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to balance low unemployment and inflation rates.