SEPTEMBER KEY FIGURES

			Jun Qtr 2016 to Sep Qtr 2016	Sep Qtr 2015 to Sep Qtr 2016
			% change	% change
Wage Price Index (WPI) Total hourly rates of pay excluding bonuses Trend(a)
	Australia		(c)0.4	1.9
	Sector
		Private	0.5	1.9
		Public	0.6	2.3
Seasonally Adjusted(b)
	Australia		0.4	1.9
	Sector
		Private	0.4	1.9
		Public	0.6	2.3
Original
	Australia		(c)0.7	2.0
	Sector
		Private	0.8	1.9
		Public	0.9	2.3
(a) See Explanatory Notes paragraphs 39-40, 42. (c) See Explanatory Notes paragraph 27.
(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

SEPTEMBER KEY POINTS


TOTAL HOURLY RATES OF PAY EXCLUDING BONUSES

QUARTERLY CHANGE (JUN QTR 2016 TO SEP QTR 2016)

• The trend index and the seasonally adjusted index for Australia both rose 0.4% in the September quarter 2016.
• The Private sector rose 0.4% and the Public sector rose 0.6%, seasonally adjusted.
• The rises in indexes at the industry level (in original terms) ranged from 0.1% for Mining to 1.7% for Accommodation and food services.

ANNUAL CHANGE (SEP QTR 2015 TO SEP QTR 2016)

• The trend and seasonally adjusted indexes for Australia both rose 1.9% through the year to the September quarter 2016.
• Rises in the original indexes through the year to the September quarter 2016 at the industry level ranged from 1.0% for Mining to 2.4% for Health care and social assistance.

NOTES

FORTHCOMING ISSUES

ISSUE (QUARTER)	Release Date
December 2016	22 February 2017
March 2017	17 May 2017
June 2017	16 August 2017
September 2017	15 November 2017

CHANGES IN THIS ISSUE

This issue contains a feature article titled "The Size and Frequency of Wage Changes" which is based on the research undertaken by James Bishop, Research Economist, Reserve Bank of Australia on secondment to the ABS. The article explores some of the factors underpinning the decline in wage growth over recent years from analysis of micro level WPI data. The article is available on the ABS website <https://www.abs.gov.au>.


CHANGES IN FUTURE ISSUES

The expenditure weights used to compile the WPI will be updated in the December quarter 2016 using expenditure on wages and salaries from the 2016 Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours.


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>.


INQUIRIES

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