The wage gap across the ditch

New Zealanders are being lured to Australia in record numbers and the latest wage figures partially explain why.

While the gulf between New Zealand and Australian pay packets is narrowing slightly, it's still a no-contest.

Australian full-time workers earned an average of $A1162 ($NZ1350) per week in the year to November, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released today.

That compares with the New Zealand average weekly income of $957 from the last Statistics New Zealand survey, released in October.

Comparatively, New Zealand's earnings increased by 8.9 percent while Australians enjoyed a five percent increase.

Better pay is cited as one of the major reasons for the increasing drift across the Tasman.

According to recent Statistics New Zealand figures, the trans-Tasman outflow of permanent and long-term New Zealand migrants exceeded the inflow of Australians by almost 28,000 last year, the highest since 1988.

Last year, 41,634 New Zealand citizens migrated to Australia "permanently or long term" - defined as intending to stay for at least 12 months.

New Zealand's net loss increased by 7000 from the previous year.

Australia's booming mining and construction industries bumped up the nation's average wage figures.

Mining workers are officially Australia's highest paid employees, taking home an average of nearly $A2000 per week.

Construction workers' wages increased by 10 percent to an average of $A1222 per week, while property and business services recorded a 9.5 percent increase to an average of $A1239.

Workers in the accommodation, cafe and restaurant industry earned an average of $A849 per week, and the retail industry an average of $A892.

Australia's extra income had to stretch to cover higher living costs, rising inflation, interest rate hikes and increasing levels of debt.

Housing costs went up 5.6 percent over the year, transport costs rose 5.6 percent and health related costs jumped 4.1 per cent.

According to recent home affordability data, the average first Australian home buyer was paying $A437,400 to get into the property market by the end of 2007, while the average credit card debt currently sits at just over $A3000.

Meanwhile, women continued to fare badly in comparison to men in both countries.

Australian men in full-time employment earned an average of $A1248 a week (up 4.9 percent) and women $A1009 (up 5.2 percent) in the past year.

In New Zealand, the weekly average for all part-time and full-time workers was $832 for men (up 10.4 percent) and $510 for women (up 7.8 percent).