Earn
Low-paid jobs recovery hits wages growth
The average weekly pay of a full-time worker has fallen narrowly in November 2020, official stats have revealed.
Low-paid jobs recovery hits wages growth
The average weekly pay of a full-time worker has fallen narrowly in November 2020, official stats have revealed.
Figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) have shown that full-time workers were paid on average $1,712 (seasonally adjusted) per week, down 0.1 per cent from May 2020.
However, the falls in wages come as lower-income earners are returning to the workforce following lockdowns in May.
With low-income workers experiencing the greatest share of job losses, the average wage increased in May by 3.3 per cent.
Changes in average earnings continued to reflect compositional changes stemming from COVID-19 impacts on jobs and earnings, with low income earners returning to the workforce dropping the average pay.
“The fall in average earnings in November highlights the extent of recovery in low-paid jobs, hours and earnings since May. While the recovery has varied by industry and other factors, there has been enough recovery at the lower end of the distribution to put downward pressure on the average,” Bjorn Jarvis, head of Labour Statistics at the ABS, said.
“November 2020 is the first time we have seen a fall in average weekly earnings over a six-month period, highlighting how unusually large the increase in May 2020 was, within a period of relatively low wage growth,” Mr Jarvis.
In annual terms, average weekly earnings were 3.2 per cent higher in November 2020. This was similar to the annual figure in November 2019 (3.3 per cent), highlighting the shift towards a more typical earnings distribution by the end of the year.
In addition to the fall in the headline average weekly earnings measure, falls were seen in the other measures. It was most pronounced for all employees, down 1.9 per cent (after increasing by 3.8 per cent in May).
Gender gap narrows but still exists
The ABS latest stats also showed that women today are still earning less than their male counterparts, albeit the gap is shrinking.
According to the ABS, the average male working full-time was earning $1,804.20 a week compared with the average female who was earning $1,562.
The stats show a 0.6 per cent reduction to 13.4 per cent between men and women’s wages.
About the author
About the author
Salary
Employers scrambling to prevent workplace brain drain
As workplace managers face a swiftly evolving employment market that’s increasingly favouring the demands of white-collar employees and jobseekers, bosses are falling under mounting pressure to pres...Read more
Salary
Unions back Albanese’s pledge to close gender pay gap
An electoral promise from Labor to make gender pay equity an objective of the Fair Work Act has been hailed as a “watershed moment” from industry peak bodies who have traditionally advocated for s...Read more
Salary
Coles asked to disprove $115m in alleged wage theft
One of Australia’s biggest supermarkets faces allegations that it underpaid more than 7,500 employees a total of $115 million. ...Read more
Salary
Gen Z left behind in progress to gender equality
Women under 25 may emerge from the pandemic in a worse financial position than when it began, new research has shown. ...Read more
Salary
Show me the money: I deserve a COVID recognition payment, and so do you
Staff are currently in high demand. But they’re also mostly overworked, overtired, underplayed and underpaid. ...Read more
Salary
Is Australia headed for the ‘Great Resignation’?
A wave of resignations from Australian workers is expected in the next six months. ...Read more
Salary
Earnings surge in lockdown, but is a slump ahead?
A new report from CBA has shown that it may actually pay to be in lockdown, as growth in household income surged ahead in NSW and Victoria. ...Read more
Salary
RBA sets sights on 4% unemployment
The RBA has updated its key objectives in order to jolt the Australian economy into growth, including a two-decade low unemployment rate of 4 per cent. ...Read more
Wrapping up an eventful 2021
Listen now
What Omicron means for property, and are units right for first-time buyers? What is equity crowdfunding? Are industry super funds tapping into member funds to save their skins?
Listen now
Will housing affordability improve in 2022? Will buy now, pay later become the norm? Why are Aussies staying in failing super products?
Listen now
Who really benefits from crypto ETFs? How will the RBA respond to rising inflation? Could a mandate help address unpaid super?
Listen now
Salary
Employers scrambling to prevent workplace brain drain
As workplace managers face a swiftly evolving employment market that’s increasingly favouring the demands of white-collar employees and jobseekers, bosses are falling under mounting pressure to pres...Read more
Salary
Unions back Albanese’s pledge to close gender pay gap
An electoral promise from Labor to make gender pay equity an objective of the Fair Work Act has been hailed as a “watershed moment” from industry peak bodies who have traditionally advocated for s...Read more
Salary
Coles asked to disprove $115m in alleged wage theft
One of Australia’s biggest supermarkets faces allegations that it underpaid more than 7,500 employees a total of $115 million. ...Read more
Salary
Gen Z left behind in progress to gender equality
Women under 25 may emerge from the pandemic in a worse financial position than when it began, new research has shown. ...Read more
Salary
Show me the money: I deserve a COVID recognition payment, and so do you
Staff are currently in high demand. But they’re also mostly overworked, overtired, underplayed and underpaid. ...Read more
Salary
Is Australia headed for the ‘Great Resignation’?
A wave of resignations from Australian workers is expected in the next six months. ...Read more
Salary
Earnings surge in lockdown, but is a slump ahead?
A new report from CBA has shown that it may actually pay to be in lockdown, as growth in household income surged ahead in NSW and Victoria. ...Read more
Salary
RBA sets sights on 4% unemployment
The RBA has updated its key objectives in order to jolt the Australian economy into growth, including a two-decade low unemployment rate of 4 per cent. ...Read more
More articles
Website Notifications
Get notifications in real-time for staying up to date with content that matters to you.
