The Northern Territory’s unemployment rate increased by one percentage point to 4.5 per cent in August from the previous month’s 3.5 per cent, despite an increase in total employment and full-time work available, newly released figures show.

In the year to July, the employment rate decreased by 1.8 per cent in the Greater Darwin region and increased by 7.6 per cent in regional NT, the ABS figures state.

The average unemployment rate in the Territory for the year, meanwhile, decreased by one percentage point to 4.0 per cent.

Nationally, unemployment slowed by 1.7 percentage point to 4.1 per cent.

Year on year, the service industry sector emerged as the largest contributor to the Territory’s employment, which went up by 6.1 per cent to 44,119 people.

On the other hand, the construction sector was seen as the biggest detractor of the Territory’s employment growth which registered a decline of 9.9 per cent to 9,319 people.

The construction sector holds a 7.1 per cent share in the Territory’s employment.

Similarly, employment in the Territory’s agriculture, forestry and fishing industry went down 18.6 per cent—holding a 1.5 per cent share in the jurisdiction’s employment; mining and manufacturing was down 7.8 per cent with a 4.5 per cent share of employment; and Retail and wholesale trade, which decreased by 2.6 per cent, had a 9.6 per cent share of employment.

Employment in the government and community services sector meanwhile, increased by 1.7 per cent. The sector has a massive 44 per cent share of employment in the Northern Territory.