Positive news for working people today with the release of the employment and income statistics which show that more Kiwis are in work and notably more women are too.
The Council of Trade Unions Policy Director and Economist Andrea Black is pleased to see that wages are increasing, “The Labour Market Income Statistics show that the average wage has increased by 3.6% over the last year or over $40 per week for an average full time employee. Interestingly there is a gender split with the average wage for women increasing by 4.3% and 3% for men. If this trend continues we will actually start to see meaningful improvement to correcting the gender pay imbalance.”
“We are however concerned that the statistics around the Household Living cost Price Indexes which came out at the same time showed that high rent increases are impacting low income people more than those on higher incomes because people with low incomes pay a higher proportion of their incomes in rent than people on higher incomes.”
“Working people need these improvements to continue and strengthen and not lose any benefits of higher wages through increased rents. The passing of legislation supporting the introduction of Fair Pay Agreements, alongside addressing the housing crisis, is another way the Government can take action to secure a better future for all working Kiwis,” Black said.
