Average Aussie pay hits $1580 a week

Australians now take home an average of A$1226 ($1580) a week, as pay rates continue to rise across the Tasman.

Tight labour market translates to more money

Australians' pay-packets rose 2 per cent in the three months to the end of November, as the combination of a tight labour market and strong corporate income translated into better salaries.

Data released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that full-time, ordinary earnings rose 2 per cent to a weekly average of A$1226. At the end of November 2008, it was A$1158 - marking an increase of almost 6 per cent.

Adults working full-time jobs took home 1.9 per cent more when overtime is factored into the equation. That category rose to A$1273 a week at the end of November, the bureau said. That compares with A$1208, which is a percentage increase of 5.4.

For comparison of price growth, consumer price inflation has risen 2.1 per cent in the 12 months to the end of December.

Data released yesterday showed that wages growth - or the rate of growth for the increases themselves - had risen at its slowest pace in a decade last quarter. Wages continued to rise, only at a slower pace than they had over the past decade.

Those figures showed the annual pace of wage growth eased to 2.9 per cent, from 3.6 per cent, while growth in the private sector was even weaker at 2.5 per cent. However, the trajectory was still upward.

Mining pay jumps

Today's ABS figures show full-time adult earnings in the mining sector rose 7.8 per cent to A$1945 a week, year-on-year, while construction earnings jumped 6.8 per cent to A$1125 a week.

"It’s showing that the mining sector, although employing very few people in headcount terms, is well and truly on top of the pay-scale," she said.

Seasonally adjusted full-time ordinary private sector weekly wages rose 2 per cent in the quarter to A$1205, or 5.7 per cent year on year.

The same wages in the public sector rose 1.7 per cent for the quarter, or 6.2 per cent over the course of the year, to A$1301.

"One of the areas that has grown most strongly over the last 6-12 months is health services which is dominated by public sector increases," said ANZ economist Julie Toth.

Administrative and support services workers took home 8.2 per cent in Novemebr 20009 compared to November 2008 - a weekly average of A$1194.

Those increases "may also reflect deliberate targeting of some government departments to try to snap up people while there’s a bit of a downturn," Ms Toth said.

But the average weekly wage in labour-intensive retail and hospital sectors continue to lag.

The retail sector rose 5.6 per cent to A$931 a week, year on year, while accommodation and food services increased 5.7 per cent, over the same period, to A$894 a week.

"Typically industries that don’t need to attract more workers at the moment would not be offering higher wages."

The unemployment rate fell to 5.3 per cent last month, from 5.5 per cent, defying expectations joblessness would rise to 8 per cent in the wake of the financial crisis.

- © Fairfax NZ News