6345.0 - Wage Price Index, Australia, Mar 2018 Quality Declaration 
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 16/05/2018   
   Page tools: Print Print Page Print all pages in this productPrint All


MARCH KEY FIGURES

Dec Qtr 2017 to Mar Qtr 2018
Mar Qtr 2017 to Mar Qtr 2018
% change
% change

Wage Price Index (WPI)
Total hourly rates of pay excluding bonuses
Trend(a)
Australia
0.5
2.1
Sector
Private
0.5
1.9
Public
0.5
2.3
Seasonally Adjusted(b)
Australia
0.5
2.1
Sector
Private
0.5
1.9
Public
0.5
2.3
Original
Australia
0.4
2.1
Sector
Private
0.4
2.0
Public
0.5
2.3

(a) See Explanatory Notes paragraphs 39-40, 42. (b) See Explanatory Notes paragraphs 32-38, 42.



Graph Image for Quarterly changes, Trend, Total hourly rates of pay excluding bonuses


Graph Image for Annual change, Original, Total hourly rates of pay excluding bonuses - States and Territories


MARCH KEY POINTS


TOTAL HOURLY RATES OF PAY EXCLUDING BONUSES

QUARTERLY CHANGE (DEC QTR 2017 TO MAR QTR 2018)
  • The trend and seasonally adjusted indexes for Australia both rose 0.5% in the March quarter 2018. This continued the moderate rate of wage growth recorded by the series over the last two years.
  • The Private and Public sector both rose 0.5%, seasonally adjusted.
  • The largest rise in indexes at an industry level (in original terms) was recorded in the Education and training industry (0.8%). A number of industries recorded the same lowest rate of wage growth, 0.2%.


ANNUAL CHANGE (MAR QTR 2017 TO MAR QTR 2018)
  • The trend and seasonally adjusted indexes for Australia both rose 2.1% through the year to the March quarter 2018. This continues the rate of wage growth recorded in the December 2017 quarter.
  • Rises through the year to March quarter 2018 at the industry level (in the original indexes) ranged from 1.4% for Mining to 2.7% for Health care and social assistance.


NOTES

FORTHCOMING ISSUES

ISSUE (QUARTER) Release Date
June 2018 15 August 2018
September 2018 14 November 2018
December 2018 20 February 2019
March 2019 15 May 2019



CHANGES IN THIS ISSUE

The main collection method for WPI survey data has been mailed out paper forms. In the March quarter 2018 all WPI survey respondents were able to submit data either via paper form or online form. The ability to submit WPI survey data online followed a successful trial of this facility. A statistical impact assessment of the online WPI facility found no significant effects to either data quality or survey response rates.


DATA REFERENCES

Data referenced in the Key Points and Commentary are available from the tables shown in this publication or in the corresponding tables of this publication on the ABS website <https://www.abs.gov.au>.


INQUIRIES

For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070 or WPI on Perth (08) 9360 5151. The ABS Privacy Policy outlines how the ABS will handle any personal information that you provide to us.