6345.0 - Labour Price Index, Australia, Mar 2006  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 17/05/2006   
   Page tools: Print Print Page Print all pages in this productPrint All

PRICE INDEXES AND CONTRACT PRICE INDEXATION

MARCH KEY FIGURES

Dec Qtr 2005 to Mar Qtr 2006
Mar Qtr 2005 to Mar Qtr 2006
% change
% change

Wage Price Index (WPI)
Total hourly rates of pay excluding bonuses
Seasonally Adjusted
Australia
0.9
4.0
Sector
Private
1.0
4.0
Public
0.8
4.1
Original
Australia
1.0
4.0
Sector
Private
0.9
4.0
Public
1.2
4.2

WPI-Quarterly changes, Total hourly rates of pay excluding bonuses
Graph: WPI–Quarterly changes, Total hourly rates of pay excluding bonuses

WPI-Annual change: original, Total hourly rates of pay excluding bonuses - For selected industries
Graph: WPI–Annual change: original, Total hourly rates of pay excluding bonuses—For selected industries



MARCH KEY POINTS


TOTAL HOURLY RATES OF PAY EXCLUDING BONUSES

QUARTERLY CHANGES (DEC QTR 2005 TO MAR QTR 2006)

  • The index for all employee jobs in Australia increased by 0.9%, seasonally adjusted.
  • The increases in indexes (in original terms) at the industry level ranged from 0.4% for Communication services to 2.6% for Electricity, gas and water supply.
  • Increases in the indexes (in original terms) at the occupation level ranged from 0.6% for Intermediate clerical, sales and service workers and Elementary clerical, sales and service workers to 1.3% for Managers and administrators.

ANNUAL CHANGES (MAR QTR 2005 TO MAR QTR 2006)
  • The seasonally adjusted increase through the year to March 2006 for all employee jobs in Australia was 4.0% (in trend terms, also 4.0%).
  • Increases in the original indexes through the year to March 2006 at the industry level ranged from 3.0% for Communication services to 5.9% for Electricity, gas and water supply, compared with 4.0% for all industries.


NOTES

FORTHCOMING ISSUES

ISSUE (QUARTER) Release Date
June 2006 16 August 2006
September 2006 15 November 2006



ABS DATA AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

Original indexes are compiled for various combinations of state/territory, sector (private/public), broad industry group and broad occupation group. Seasonally adjusted and trend indexes are compiled only for total hourly rates of pay excluding bonuses for each of the private sector, public sector and all sectors. Indexes not included in this publication may be made available on request by telephoning David Taylor on Perth (08) 9360 5151.



CHANGES IN THIS ISSUE

A review of the treatment of bonuses and commissions resulted in methodological changes in the March quarter 2006. Details of these changes and the likely impact on the indexes that include bonuses and commissions are included in Appendix 4.



FURTHER INFORMATION

More detailed information on the Labour Price Index (LPI) is available in Labour Price Index: Concepts, Sources and Methods, Australia (cat. no. 6351.0.55.001).



INQUIRIES

For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070 or David Taylor on Perth (08) 9360 5151.



COMMENTARY


SECTOR

The seasonally adjusted through the year movement to March quarter 2006 of 4.0% compares with the 4.2% change for the year through to December quarter 2005. The difference is attributable to a decline in the rate of wages growth in the public sector since its through the year peak in September 2005. The seasonally adjusted through the year increase for the private sector has been steady at 4.0% for each of the last three quarters.



SOURCE OF PAY CHANGES

Of those jobs reporting a pay increase in March quarter 2006, over half were paid under Collective Agreements or Enterprise Agreements.