By Stella Qiu and Wayne Cole SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australian employment blew past forecasts for a third straight month in August, yet the jobless rate held steady as the workforce also expanded at a rapid rate,

Australia's national unemployment rate held steady at 4.2 percent in August. The number of employed people grew by 47,500, and the number of unemployed people declined by 10,500, according to reports. Australian correspondent Murray Olds says this will encourage the Reserve Bank to hold off on cutting interest rates when they next meet.

Australia's unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.2%, in line with forecasts and, unchanged from July’s 2.5-year high. Data showed that employers added a net 47,500 jobs in August, near