The sluggish job market's another bump in our road to economic recovery

The unemployment rate's sitting at 5.2 percent - its highest point in five years.

In late 2021, it was just 3.2 percent.

Westpac Senior Economist, Michael Gordon, says it shows our economic slowdown's ongoing.

He says it's not too surprising, given the Reserve Bank's moves to control inflation.

But Gordon says the end's likely near, with economic activity picking up - but not yet translated into businesses needing to hire.