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00:36 AUS ECON: Feb Jobs Surge 36.7k, Unemployment Down To 4.0% Sydney, March 13. Australia's labour market strengthened in February with employment rising 36,700, driven by a massive 47,700 increase in full-time employment after several slack months. The result was well above the consensus for a 15,000 increase and IFR's 12,500 forecast, and pushed unemployment to a fresh thirty- plus year low of 4.0%, although participation was unchanged at 65.2%. The market had expected unemployment to remain steady at 4.2% while IFR had expected a drop to 4.0%. The result for participation was as expected by the market and IFR. The strength of the labour market, albeit a lagging indicator, suggests that the RBA's work to cool domestic demand is not yet finished. Most, including IFR, expect the central bank to pause in April before lifting the cash rate again in May following the March quarter CPI report in late April, but the solid jobs report raises the risk that it will deliver a third straight rate hike next month.