A stronger-than-expected rise in employment and a fall in Australia’s jobless rate has bolstered the case for more interest rate hikes. An extra 40,300 jobs were added to the economy in May, driving down the unemployment rate to 4.4 per cent, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported on Thursday. The fall in the unemployment rate was in line with economist expectations. But the jump in employment exceeded consensus forecasts for around 25,000 new jobs to be added to the economy.