Aussie wages hit file excessive

In March, complete wages and salaries paid by employers in Australia reached a seasonal excessive of $99.5 billion, up 2.1% from the earlier month, amounting to a further $2.1bn, contemporary ABS figures present.

Annual progress in complete wages and salaries

Bjorn Jarvis (pictured above), ABS head of labour statistics, highlighted the annual progress.

“Whole wages and salaries had been $99.5bn in March 2024, up 7.1% from $92.9bn in March 2023,” Jarvis mentioned in a media launch. “This annual progress charge displays the mixed results of adjustments over the yr in underlying wage progress, hours labored, periodic funds like bonuses, and employment progress seen in different ABS labour statistics.”

Seasonal highs and business insights

Jarvis mentioned March is usually when numerous industries distribute periodic bonuses, making it a seasonal peak inside the monetary yr.

“That is the place this month-to-month knowledge, which continues to be comparatively new and produced utilizing Single Contact Payroll knowledge from the Australian Taxation Workplace, provides us new insights,” he mentioned.

Wages and salaries rose in 15 of 19 industries between February and March. The healthcare and social help business noticed a major enhance, contributing 20% of the $2.1bn rise.

Moreover, periodic bonuses within the mining, monetary and insurance coverage providers, and manufacturing industries accounted for 42% of the month-to-month enhance.

Quarterly and annual comparisons

On a quarterly foundation, complete wages and salaries paid by employers grew extra slowly within the March quarter, growing by 0.5% (+$1.4b), in comparison with a 0.8% (+$2.3bn) rise within the March quarter, ABS figures confirmed.

Over the yr to March, wages and salaries elevated in 18 of 19 industries. The healthcare and social help business led this progress with a rise of $1.6bn (12.6%), adopted by public administration and security (+10.1%), skilled, scientific and technical providers (+5.2%), and training and coaching (+7.7%). These 4 industries accounted for greater than half of the annual enhance.

New South Wales accounted for a 3rd of the whole wages and salaries, with a $560 million (1.7%) enhance from February. Western Australia noticed the most important proportional rise of three.9% (+$445m), pushed by bonuses within the mining business.

Yearly, NSW additionally had the best enhance in greenback phrases with an increase of $1.9bn (6.2%) from March. Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory recorded the best annual progress charges at 10.2% and 10.1%, respectively, influenced by adjustments in wage insurance policies and new enterprise agreements in public sector companies.

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