Estimates of weekly earnings classified by industry, sector , state and territory
Estimates for average weekly ordinary time earnings for full-time adults (seasonally adjusted):
| May 2021 | May 2020 to May 2021 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| $ | % change | ||
| Seasonally Adjusted | Full-time adult ordinary time earnings (a) | 1,737.10 | 1.4 |
| Full-time adult total earnings | 1,798.00 | 1.6 | |
| All employees total earnings (a) | 1,305.80 | 0.1 | |
| Original | Full-time adult ordinary time earnings | 1,737.10 | 1.4 |
| Full-time adult total earnings | 1,797.00 | 1.6 | |
| All employees total earnings | 1,305.80 | 0.1 | |
(a) This component is not seasonally adjusted.
The COVID-19 period has been unprecedented in the scale and speed of changes in the labour market. As various restrictions to control COVID-19 have been implemented, relaxed and lifted, employment and hours have changed considerably.
The May 2020 cycle of the Survey of Average Weekly Earnings (AWE) collected data from businesses for the last pay period ending on or before 15 May 2020. At that stage, there were widespread social distancing and other business-related restrictions in place to reduce the spread of COVID-19. These restrictions led to a large decrease in the number of jobs, people employed and hours worked, with lower paid jobs and industries particularly impacted, including jobs in Accommodation and food services, Arts and recreation services, and Other services. The large-scale loss of lower paid jobs in these industries had the effect of increasing the value of average weekly earnings at the total economy level. The full-time adult average weekly earnings increased by 3.3 per cent biannually over this time. Annual percentage movements from May 2020 to May 2021 should be considered with this in mind.
By the November 2020 cycle, lower paid employment and hours had partly recovered, which resulted in a 0.1 per cent fall in average weekly earnings. While the recovery varied by industry and other factors, there was sufficient recovery at the lower end of the earnings distribution to put downward pressure on average earnings. In November, employment was 1.3 per cent below March 2020 (as per Labour Force, Australia estimates).
The May 2021 reference period (the last pay period ending on or before 21 May 2021) fell prior to the recent outbreak of COVID-19 cases in the eastern states. At the time, employment was 1.0 per cent above March 2020 and many restrictions had eased. The full-time adult average weekly earnings increased by 1.5 per cent between November 2020 and May 2021, reflecting the further shift towards a more typical earnings distribution and more usual six-monthly change in average earnings.
Consistent with other ABS labour statistics, the AWE trend series have been suspended until more certainty emerges in the underlying trend in earnings estimates over the COVID-19 period. The reinstatement of AWE trend estimates will be reviewed for the November 2021 cycle. Spreadsheets containing seasonally adjusted and original data will continue to be published in the standard format, but trend spreadsheets will not be published during the COVID-19 period.
During the COVID-19 period, the ABS will use forward seasonal factors to produce some seasonally adjusted average weekly earnings estimates. Forward factor adjustments are generally better suited to managing large movements at the end point of a series and ensure that large movements do not have a disproportionate influence on the seasonal factors. The forward factor approach is not considered suitable for series with a non-seasonal span, and the concurrent adjustment method continued to be used for these series.
Prior to the release of the AWE May 2021 estimates, the ABS undertook a review of the seasonally adjusted AWE series. As part of this process, static forward factors have been calculated for the next 12 months taking effect from the May 2021 release.
For a more detailed discussion on the implications of unusual events on time series, see When it's not "business-as-usual": Implications for ABS Time Series.
Responses for the Average Weekly Earnings May 2021 cycle remained high. The ABS would like to thank the Australian business community for their continued support in responding to our surveys during such a difficult time, given how critically important this information is.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics' Average Weekly Earnings survey is designed to measure the level of average earnings in Australia at a point in time. Movements in average weekly earnings can be affected by changes in both the level of earnings per employee and in the composition of the labour force. Factors which can contribute to compositional change include variation in the proportion of full-time, part-time, casual and junior employees; variation in the occupational distribution within and across industries; variation in the distribution of employment between industries; and variation in the distribution of hours worked and paid for.
It is also important to note that while Average Weekly Earnings data can be used to compare, at the very broad level, average earnings between males and females, such comparisons do not take into account a range of compositional differences. For example, differences in occupation or hours worked can contribute significantly to the differences observed between male and female earnings. Details of occupation and hours worked are not collected in the Average Weekly Earnings survey. For further comparisons between male and female wages, including hourly rates and by occupation, refer to Employee Earnings and Hours, Australia.
For more information on compositional changes, see Spotlight: Increases in Average Weekly Earnings – compositional changes during the COVID-19 period.
| May 2021 | May 2020 to May 2021 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| $ | % change | ||
| Males | Full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings (a) | 1,837.00 | 1.4 |
| Full-time adult average weekly total earnings | 1,921.10 | 1.6 | |
| All employees average weekly total earnings (a) | 1,555.30 | 1.1 | |
| Females | Full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings (a) | 1,575.50 | 1.1 |
| Full-time adult average weekly total earnings | 1,597.80 | 1.3 | |
| All employees average weekly total earnings | 1,069.10 | -1.3 | |
| Persons | Full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings (a) | 1,737.10 | 1.4 |
| Full-time adult average weekly total earnings | 1,798.00 | 1.6 | |
| All employees average weekly total earnings (a) | 1,305.80 | 0.1 | |
(a) This component is not seasonally adjusted.
| May 2021 | May 2020 to May 2021 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| $ | % change | ||
| Males | Full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings | 1,837.00 | 1.4 |
| Full-time adult average weekly total earnings | 1,919.50 | 1.6 | |
| All employees average weekly total earnings | 1,555.30 | 1.1 | |
| Females | Full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings | 1,575.50 | 1.1 |
| Full-time adult average weekly total earnings | 1,598.60 | 1.4 | |
| All employees average weekly total earnings | 1,068.90 | -1.3 | |
| Persons | Full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings | 1,737.10 | 1.4 |
| Full-time adult average weekly total earnings | 1,797.00 | 1.6 | |
| All employees average weekly total earnings | 1,305.80 | 0.1 | |
| May 2021 | May 2020 to May 2021 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| $ | % change | ||
| Australia | Full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings | 1,737.10 | 1.4 |
| Full-time adult average weekly total earnings | 1,797.00 | 1.6 | |
| All employees average weekly total earnings | 1,305.80 | 0.1 | |
| Private Sector | Full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings | 1,699.10 | 1.5 |
| Full-time adult average weekly total earnings | 1,758.30 | 1.6 | |
| All employees average weekly total earnings | 1,242.40 | -0.1 | |
| Public Sector | Full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings | 1,880.20 | 1.7 |
| Full-time adult average weekly total earnings | 1,942.30 | 2.4 | |
| All employees average weekly total earnings | 1,591.00 | 2.3 | |
The trend estimates have been suspended from May 2020 for all Average Weekly Earnings series due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labour market.
Some of the seasonally adjusted series above do not display seasonality, so they are not seasonally adjusted.
In these cases the seasonally adjusted figure will be the same as the original series.
The file below lists the treatment of each of these series.
This release previously used catalogue number 6302.0.