Labour market statistics (income): June 2019 quarter
Income statistics allow analysis of the links between labour force status, educational achievement, and the income of individuals and households.
Key facts
In the year to the June 2019 quarter:
- median hourly earnings from wages and salaries increased $0.50 (2.0 percent), to $25.50
- gender pay gap was 9.3 percent
- median weekly income from wages and salaries was $1,016
- median weekly income from government transfers remained flat at $341.
All income data refers to gross (before tax) income for individuals and is statistically significant unless otherwise specified.
Hourly wage and salary earnings rise 2.0 percent annually
The median for hourly earnings for wage and salary workers reached $25.50 in the June 2019 quarter, up from $25.00 last year (2.0 percent).
Split by some key groups of interest, changes in median hourly earnings for the year were:
Sex:
- men – up $0.85 (3.3 percent) to $27.00
- women – up $0.75 (3.2 percent) to $24.50.
Ethnicity:
- Asian – up $0.98 (4.3 percent) to $24.00
- Māori – up $0.94 (4.3 percent) to $23.00
- European – up $0.85 (3.3 percent) to $26.85
- Pacific people – up $0.80 (3.7 percent) to $22.38.
Age group (years):
- 15–19 – up $1.00 (6.0 percent) to $17.75
- 20–24 – up $1.12 (5.8 percent) to $20.34
- 25–29 – up $1.00 (4.3 percent) to $24.50
- 40–44 – up $0.96 (3.3 percent) to $29.73.
The government raised the minimum wage by $1.20 to $17.70 on 1 April 2019. This minimum wage increase coincides with the high annual increases for the younger age groups (those under 30), which have a proportionately higher amount of minimum wage earners.
Full-time and part-time work:
- full-time workers – up $0.60 (2.3 percent) to $26.97
- part-time workers – up $0.50 (2.6 percent) to $20.00 – change not statistically significant.
Industry:
- construction – up $1.82 (7.2 percent) to $27.00
- retail trade and accommodation – up $1.35 (7.4 percent) to $19.50
- transport, postal, and warehousing – up $1.01 (4.2 percent) to $24.98
- heath care and social assistance – up $1.00 (4.0 percent) to $26.00
- manufacturing – up $1.00 (4.0 percent) to $26.00
- arts, recreation, and other services – up $0.97 (4.2 percent) to $23.97.
Occupation:
- labourers – up $1.18 (6.5 percent) to $19.20
- sales workers – up $1.00 (5.3 percent) to $20.00
- technicians and trade workers – up $1.00 (4.2 percent) to $25.00
- community and personal service workers – up $0.82 (4.0 percent) to $21.30
- professionals – up $0.78 (2.4 percent) to $33.57.
Gender pay gap at 9.3 percent
The gender pay gap in the June 2019 quarter was 9.3 percent. This is based on median hourly wage and salary earnings.
Note: A gender pay gap of 0 percent would imply no difference in earnings between men and women. This measure does not consider factors that could influence differences in earnings, such as occupation, qualifications gained, age, and hours worked.
Measuring the gender pay gap has more information on gender pay gaps and how to calculate them.
Organisational gender pay gaps: Measurement and analysis guidelines explains how to calculate the gender pay gap within your own organisation.
Weekly wage and salary earnings increase as more women enter full-time work
The median weekly income for wage and salary earners was $1,016 in the June 2019 quarter.
Split by some key groups of interest, changes in median weekly earnings for the year were:
Sex:
- women – up $42 (4.9 percent) to $906
- men – up $11 (0.9 percent) to $1,151 – change not statistically significant.
The increase in median weekly earnings for women was driven by 28,600 more women working full-time for wages and salaries than a year ago.
Full-time and part-time work:
- part-time workers – up $35 (10.2 percent) to $375
- full-time workers – up $23 (2.1 percent) to $1,147.
Ethnicity:
- Pacific peoples – up $45 (5.1 percent) to $920
- Māori – up $37 (4.1 percent) to $937
- Asian – up $35 (3.8 percent) to $959
- European – up $24 (2.3 percent) to $1,060 – change not statistically significant.
Industry:
- health care and social assistance – up $70 (7.9 percent) to $952
- arts, recreation, and other services – up $62 (7.3 percent) to $906
- retail trade and accommodation – up $52 (7.7 percent) to $728.
Over the year ending June 2019, several collective agreements came into force, including the nurses’ collective agreement (ratified in August last year). This increase to all nurses is likely to have contributed strongly to the increase in weekly wages for the health care and social assistance industry.
Occupation:
- labourers – up $48 (6.8 percent) to $752
- technicians and trade workers – up $43 (4.3 percent) to $1,040
- clerical and administration workers – up $36 (3.9 percent) to $964.
Government transfers remain unchanged
The median weekly income from government transfers was unchanged from last year at $341 in the June 2019 quarter.
Government transfers include income from New Zealand Superannuation and Veteran’s Pension, student allowance, and transfers from Accident Compensation Corporation, Inland Revenue, and Work and Income.
Sex:
- women – up $6 (1.6 percent) to $347
- men – no change at $341.
The median weekly income for government transfers for people aged 65 years and over increased $9 (2.6 percent) to reach $360.
Since the June 2018 quarter, the number of people receiving government transfers increased by 59,200. Of this increase, almost two-thirds (38,100) were aged under 65.
Definitions and metadata
Labour market statistics (income) – DataInfo+ has general methodology used to produce labour market statistics (income) statistics.
Labour market statistics (income) concepts – DataInfo+ has definitions of terms used in this release.
Media enquiries
Lennard Gui
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Technical enquiries
Doug Hill
info@stats.govt.nz
ISSN 2463-6746
Next release
Labour market statistics (income): June 2020 quarter will be released in August 2020.
