Australia’s seasonally adjusted Wage Price Index increased 3.3% year-on-year in Q1 2025, easing from a 3.4% rise in the previous quarter and in line with market expectations. A slight slowdown was driven by softer gains across both sectors, with private-sector wages advancing 3.2% (vs 3.4% in Q4), the lowest since Q2 2022, and public-sector pay increasing 3.3% (vs 4.0%), the weakest increase since Q4 2024. On a quarterly basis, wages grew 0.8%, unchanged from the prior period and in line with market expectations. In original terms, electricity, gas, water & waste services recorded the highest quarterly rise at 1.1%. Conversely, retail, accommodation and food services & information, media, and telecommunication industries registered the weakest quarterly increases at 0.1%. On an annual basis, electricity, gas, water, and waste services led all industries with a 4.3% growth, while administrative and support services saw the slowest through-the-year growth at 2.8%. source: Australian Bureau of Statistics

Wages in Australia increased 3.40 percent in December of 2025 over the same month in the previous year. Wage Growth in Australia averaged 3.13 percent from 1998 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 4.30 percent in the second quarter of 2008 and a record low of 1.30 percent in the fourth quarter of 2020. This page provides - Australia Wage Growth- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news. Australia Annual Change in Hourly Rates of Pay - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on May of 2026.

Wages in Australia increased 3.40 percent in December of 2025 over the same month in the previous year. Wage Growth in Australia is expected to be 3.10 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the Australia Annual Change in Hourly Rates of Pay is projected to trend around 2.90 percent in 2027 and 3.20 percent in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-05-13 01:30 AM
Wage Price Index YoY
Q1 3.3% 3.4% 3.3% 3.3%
2026-05-13 01:30 AM
Wage Price Index QoQ
Q1 0.8% 0.8% 0.8% 0.8%
2026-08-12 01:30 AM
Wage Price Index YoY
Q2 3.3% 3.1%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Employed Persons 14767.70 14749.80 Thousand Mar 2026
Employment Change 17878.00 49653.00 Persons Mar 2026
Employment Rate 64.00 64.00 percent Mar 2026
Full Time Employment Chg 52527.00 -27695.00 Persons Mar 2026
Job Vacancies 337.90 329.00 Thousand Mar 2026
Participation Rate 66.80 66.90 percent Mar 2026
Labour Costs 107.90 107.40 points Dec 2025
Part Time Employment Chg -34649.00 77348.00 Persons Mar 2026
Population 27.40 26.97 Million Dec 2024
Productivity 100.10 100.10 points Dec 2025
Unemployed Persons 656.30 660.00 Thousand Mar 2026
Unemployment Rate 4.30 4.30 percent Mar 2026
Wage Price Index YoY 3.30 3.40 percent Mar 2026
Wages 1562.40 1542.30 AUD/Week Dec 2025
Wages in Manufacturing 1770.30 1715.50 AUD/Week Dec 2025
Youth Unemployment Rate 10.10 10.20 percent Mar 2026


Australia Annual Change in Hourly Rates of Pay
In Australia, wage growth measures the annual change in hourly rates of pay excluding bonuses for both public and private sector.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
3.30 3.40 4.30 1.30 1998 - 2026 percent Quarterly
SA

News Stream
Australia Q1 Wage Growth Matches Forecasts
Australia’s seasonally adjusted Wage Price Index increased 3.3% year-on-year in Q1 2025, easing from a 3.4% rise in the previous quarter and in line with market expectations. A slight slowdown was driven by softer gains across both sectors, with private-sector wages advancing 3.2% (vs 3.4% in Q4), the lowest since Q2 2022, and public-sector pay increasing 3.3% (vs 4.0%), the weakest increase since Q4 2024. On a quarterly basis, wages grew 0.8%, unchanged from the prior period and in line with market expectations. In original terms, electricity, gas, water & waste services recorded the highest quarterly rise at 1.1%. Conversely, retail, accommodation and food services & information, media, and telecommunication industries registered the weakest quarterly increases at 0.1%. On an annual basis, electricity, gas, water, and waste services led all industries with a 4.3% growth, while administrative and support services saw the slowest through-the-year growth at 2.8%.
2026-05-13
Australia Q4 Wage Growth Edges Higher
Australia’s seasonally adjusted Wage Price Index rose 3.4% year-on-year in Q4 2025, slightly accelerating from a marginally revised 3.3% increase in the previous quarter. The uptick was driven by steady gains across both sectors, with private-sector wages rising 3.4% (vs. 3.3% in Q3) and public-sector pay increasing 4.0% (vs. 3.9%). Quarterly, wages grew 0.8%, unchanged from the prior period and in line with market expectations. In original terms, information, media and telecommunications posted the strongest quarterly wage growth at 1.2%. In contrast, administrative and support services and accommodation and food services recorded the weakest quarterly increases, both at 0.3%. On an annual basis, health care and social assistance led all industries with a 4.4% rise, while financial and insurance services saw the slowest through-the-year growth at 2.7%.
2026-02-18
Australia Wage Growth Meets Market Forecasts
Australia’s seasonally adjusted Wage Price Index rose by 3.4% year-on-year in Q3 2025, unchanged from the previous quarter and in line with market expectations. Public sector wages increased by 3.8%, slightly above the 3.7% rise in Q2, while private sector wages grew by 3.2%, easing from 3.4% previously. In original terms, the electricity, gas, water & waste services industry and public administration recorded the strongest annual wage gains at 4.3% each. They were followed by healthcare and social assistance (3.8%), mining (3.6%), education and training (3.6%), construction (3.4%), rental, hiring, and real estate services (3.3%), and professional, scientific & technical services (3.3%). Healthcare and social assistance roles were the main contributors to quarterly wage growth. On a quarterly basis, overall wage prices rose by 0.8%, matching the previous quarter and aligning with market forecasts.
2025-11-19