Average weekley full-time earnings May 2017

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) changed the release of Average Weekly Earnings data from quarterly to biannually (May and November of each year). As a result of the break in the quarterly series, seasonally adjusted and trend data is only available from May 2012, therefore time series displayed in this brief is based on original data.

Average weekly full time adult earnings (AWFTE) data should be viewed with caution as it can be a volatile measure of wage growth. Changes in the averages may be affected not only by changes in the level of earnings of employees but also by changes in the overall composition of the labour force. This relates to variations in the:

• occupational distribution within and across industries;
• distribution of employment between industries; and
• proportion of male and female employees.

In the six months to May 2017, the trend AWFTE in the Territory was $1,774. This was the third highest level of all the jurisdictions, behind the Australian Capital Territory ($1,815), and Western Australia ($1,796). Nationally, the trend AWFTE was $1 608 (Chart 1).

In May 2017, the trend AWFTE in the Territory decreased by 0.2 per cent compared to September 2016. The six monthly decline in Territory AWFTE was driven by a decline in male AWFTE of 0.1 per cent to $2,012, which was partly offset by an increase in female AWFTE of 1.2 per cent to $1,463.

Nationally, the trend AWFTE increased by 1.0 per cent over the past six months, this consists of a 0.8 per cent increase in the male AWFTE (to $1,729) and a 1.3 per cent increase in the female AWFTE (to $1,406). In the year to May 2017, the Territory AWFTE increased by 5.8 per cent (Chart 2).

The Territory also recorded the highest year on year increase of all the jurisdictions. The AWFTE of other jurisdictions ranged from a decline of 0.2 per cent in Western Australia to an increase of 4.5 per cent in Victoria. Nationally, AWFTE increased by 2.1 per cent over the same period (Chart 2).

In the year to May 2017, the AWFTE for males in the Territory increased by 7.6 per cent. In comparison, AWFTE for females increased by 3.3 per cent (Chart 3).