Updated
Updated · The Canberra Times · Aug 19
Australia Wage Growth Slows to 3.2% as Public Sector Tops Private for 6th Quarter
Updated
Updated · The Canberra Times · Aug 19

Australia Wage Growth Slows to 3.2% as Public Sector Tops Private for 6th Quarter

3 articles · Updated · The Canberra Times · Aug 19

Summary

  • Australia’s annual wage growth eased to 3.2% in the June quarter from 3.4% a year earlier, while the wage price index held at 0.8% for the quarter.
  • 79% of jobs recorded pay rises below 4%, up from 75%, and the ABS said a smaller share of larger wage increases drove the overall slowdown.
  • Public-sector wages rose 3.4%, outpacing the private sector’s 3.1% for a sixth straight quarter, led by state public service increases and scheduled federal agreement rises.
  • Wage growth remains below the late-2023 peak of 4.3% but still above the 2.2% pace seen before COVID, with the latest figures broadly matching economists’ forecasts.

Insights

With government pay surging ahead, are private sector workers quietly bearing the brutal brunt of Australia's economic slowdown?
Will the massive July 2026 minimum wage hike trigger a dangerous inflation spiral, or rescue a struggling retail sector?