Australian Bureau Of Statistics

Wages Rise 0.5% Seasonally Adjusted

Victor P Taffa

Seasonally adjusted Wage Price Index (WPI) rose 0.5 % in the September quarter 2017 and 2.0 % over the year, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

WPI, seasonally adjusted, has recorded quarterly wages growth in the range of 0.4 to 0.6 % for the last 13 quarters (from the June quarter 2014).

“Annual wages growth increased marginally to 2.0 % in the September quarter 2017.” ABS Chief Economist Bruce Hockman said.

“Higher wage growth in the September quarter was driven by enterprise agreement increases, end of financial year wage reviews and the Fair Work Commission’s annual minimum wage review.”

Seasonally adjusted, private sector wages rose 1.9 % and public sector wages grew 2.4 % through the year to the September quarter 2017.

In original terms, through the year wage growth to the September quarter 2017 ranged from 1.2 % for the Mining industry to 2.7 % for Health care and social assistance and Arts and recreation services.

Western Australia recorded the lowest through the year wage growth of 1.3 % and Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania the highest of 2.2 %.