Population growth has slowed to near-three year lows after net migration came in 17,000 people lower than the government had forecast, contradicting claims at protests last month that immigration was surging out of control.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported annual population growth has slowed to 1.56 per cent, with the country adding 423,400 residents in the 12 months to the end of March to take the total population to 27.5 million as government efforts to rein in population growth took hold.

But there are signs the job market will need more support from Reserve Bank interest rate cuts after separate figures revealed a sharp fall in the number of people holding down full-time work, with the bureau finding the country lost 41,000 full-time positions in August.

While the unempl

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