February saw the level of job advertisements in Australia climb, a new study has shown.

Figures from ANZ Bank indicate total ads increased during the month by 19.1 per cent to an average of 159,778 per week - the highest rise in 11 years.

The data are an improvement on a drop of 8.1 per cent in January and 27.5 per cent above a seasonal low in July 2009.

According to chief economist for the bank Warren Hogan: "We expect the unemployment rate will ease down from here."

He also noted that part-time employment is now responsible for 30.2 per cent of all positions, with total aggregate hours worked remaining relatively steady over the past year.

In related employment news, the current Australian employment rate stood at 5.3 per cent in January, with the official total to be announced this Thursday, while recent reports have indicated a rise in business confidence levels.