SYDNEY, July 20 (Reuters) - Australia employment handily beat expectations for a second straight month in June, while the jobless rate stayed near 50-year lows in a sign the labour market remained drum-tight, adding to the risk of further interest rate hikes.
Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed net employment rose by 32,600 in June from May, when it had surged by a startlingly strong 76,600. Market forecasts had been for an increase of 15,000.
The jobless rate held at a downwardly revised 3.5%, when analysts had expected 3.6%, leaving it just above the 3.4% trough from October last year.
The Australian dollar rose 0.9% to $0.6830, reversing a four-session losing streak, while three-year bond futures fell 12 ticks to 96.1.
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