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.
Source(s): Quarterly changes, Trend, Total hourly rates of pay excluding bonuses-Web Page Graph 1 Source(s): Annual change, Original, Total hourly rates of pay excluding bonuses - States and Territories-Web Page Graph 2 - Annual change Original

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>.


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