The seasonally adjusted Wage Price Index (WPI) rose 0.5 per cent in December quarter 2018 and 2.3 per cent through the year, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
ABS Chief Economist Bruce Hockman said: "The seasonally adjusted, quarterly rise of 0.5 per cent continues an extended period of moderate hourly wage growth. Annually, private sector wages rose 2.3 per cent and public sector wages grew 2.5 per cent."
Annual rates of growth in the private sector have been lower than those recorded for the public sector over the last four years, though Mr Hockman noted: "Annual private sector wage growth was the highest recorded for this sector since December quarter 2014."
In original terms, annual growth to the December quarter 2018 ranged from 1.6 per cent for the Information Media and telecommunication services industry to 2.8 per cent for the Electricity, gas, water and waste services and Health care and social assistance industries.
Western Australia once again recorded the lowest through the year wage growth of 1.6 per cent while Victoria recorded the highest of 2.7 per cent.
The November 2018 average weekly ordinary time earnings for full-time adults in Australia will be released on Thursday 21 February at 11:30 am in Average Weekly Earnings, November 2018 (cat. no. 6302.0).