Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™

LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE

Treasurer sees positive signs for wages

Treasurer Scott Morrison says there are encouraging signs for the wages outlook as economists predict another solid rise in job creation in figures this week.

Treasurer Scott Morrison.
Treasurer Scott Morrison says there are good signs for the economy. (AAP)

Treasurer Scott Morrison says there are positive signs for the wages outlook as job creation gains momentum.

Economists expect figures this week will show the economy added a further 20,000 jobs in August, building on the near 30,000 increase in July and the 240,000 over the financial year to end-June.

"The pace of jobs growth has accelerated over the year and the participation rate has risen which suggests that people are more confident about conditions in the jobs market," Commonwealth Bank economists said in their weekly outlook.

The participation rate gauges people who are either in or looking for work.

However, nationwide wage growth continues to stagnate at its lowest level in at least 20 years.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Mr Morrison said low wage growth was not peculiar to Australia but said salaries were rising in some industries where workers were in greater demand, such as the IT security, health and construction/engineering sectors.

"That gives us, I think, some encouragement about what we can expect down the line," Mr Morrison told ABC television on Sunday.

He believes as company profits show sustainable improvement, the case for wage rises will build, especially when businesses were putting people on.

The May budget predicted wage growth of 3.75 per cent by 2020/21, compared with just 1.9 per cent now.

"As the labour market tightens, that's obviously going to lead over time to a boost in wages," he said.

"That's why I talk about the better days ahead because we can see all these things lining up - more jobs, more investment, profit performance improving."

But Labor says the treasurer is "naive and dishonest" pretending workers can get a decent pay increase by just asking their bosses.

"The treasurer knows workers can't just ask for a pay rise when their bargaining capacity is being ripped away from them," opposition employment spokesman Brendan O'Connor said in a statement.

"The Turnbull government cannot seriously try to continue to deny the inequality which hardworking Australians are experiencing every day."


2 min read

Published

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world