Australian stocks ended flat as gains in the retail sector were offset by losses caused by uncertainty over the government's carbon price plans. On Thursday, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was up 0.5 points, or 0.01 per cent, at 4605.5 and the broader All Ordinaries index was up 2.5 points, or 0.05 per cent, at 4666.1. On the ASX 24, the September share price index futures contract was three points lower at 4588 with 29,051 contracts traded. Retail stocks rose on the back of the positive employment data. The data showed an steady unemployment rate at 4.9 per cent in June for the second month in a row.

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Billabong gained 20 cents to $6.24, Myer gained six cents, or 2.33 per cent, to $2.63, JB Hi-Fi rose 39 cents to $16.98 and David Jones added seven cents to $3.97. The resources sector was mixed, with BHP Billiton losing three cents to $44.42 and Rio Tinto lost five cents to $83.55, while Rio's majority-owned Coal miner Coal & Allied bounced back from losses on Wednesday, gaining $2.60 to close at $102.71. News Corp fell 62 cents, or 3.61 per cent, to $16.55, amidst a backlash over the phone hacking scandal in the UK. News's non-voting scrip shed 66 cents, or 3.95 per cent, to $16.07. Preliminary national turnover was $1.75 billion shares worth $4.09 billion, with 591 stocks up, 451 down and 364 unchanged.

A rosier than expected employment report for June saw the Australian dollar bid higher, as dealers viewed the jobs data as a sign the country's underlying economy remains healthy, even after a string of soft indicators. Some 23,400 jobs were added in the month and the unemployment rate held steady at 4.9%. Economists on average had expected an unemployment rate of 4.9% in June, with the number of employed up 15,000. That number was noteworthy as it came after months of flat jobs growth and soft retail sales and house prices. The Australian dollar was at $1.0735, up from $1.0699 before the jobs data and $1.0724 late Wednesday. Against the Japanese yen, the Australian dollar was at 86.895, down from 86.80.

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