Victorian wages grow under the Albanese Government

Under Labor, people are earning more and keeping more of what they earn.

According to the latest data from Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Characteristics of employment, the median weekly earnings of Greater Melbourne have gone up by 13.5% in the past 2 years, including 7.7% in the last year alone.

For the rest of Victoria outside of Greater Melbourne, the median weekly earnings have gone up by 9.5% in the past 2 years, including 6.9% in the last year alone.

The biggest winners are administrative and support service workers who are now earning an extra $213.30 weekly on average, with an over 20% increase. Wholesale trade, rental, hiring and real estate services, education and training, and retail trade also experienced strong growth.

This wage growth is welcome, but we know people in regional Victoria are still under pressure. That’s why the Albanese Government’s primary focus is rolling out responsible cost of living relief – a tax cut for every taxpayer, energy bill relief for every household, cheaper medicines, cheaper child care and cutting student debt.

Source: ABS, Characteristics of Employment, August 2024.
Notes: Estimates rounded to the nearest 10 cents.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Murray Watt:

“This new data is an encouraging sign that the measures the Albanese Government is introducing are making a difference to how much people are earning. Many of these changes to workplace wages and conditions have come into force in the past 12 months, and already we’re seeing the results start to flow through.

“Along with delivering a tax cut for every worker, the Albanese Government has taken action on a range of issues that were keeping wages low, including Same Job, Same Pay, reviving enterprise bargaining, reducing the gender pay gap, getting tough on wage theft, funding pay rises for aged care workers and early child care educators and delivering three above inflation increases to the National Minimum Wage.

“The result has seen wage increases recorded for both minimum wage and award wage workers in recent months, helping Australians deal with cost of living pressures.

“While we’re helping workers earn more, Peter Dutton and the Coalition have done everything in their power to sink wages. They’ve opposed every step we’ve taken to improve wages, they never once argued for a rise in the minimum wage when they were in Government, and now they are now recklessly promising to cut pay and conditions for workers if they win the next election.”

Quotes attributable to Senator Jess Walsh:

“Under the Albanese Government wages are going up, and workers in regional Victoria are earning more and keeping more of what they earn. It’s great to see that workers in Greater Melbourne are getting on average $172.10 more in their pay packets each week.

“Under the Albanese Government wages are going up, and workers in regional Victoria are earning more and keeping more of what they earn. It’s great to see that workers outside of Greater Melbourne are getting on average $108.20 more in their pay packets each week.

“Peter Dutton’s Liberals have not only promised cut to workers’ pay and conditions if they’re elected, they’ve voted against or talked down every measure our Government has implemented for workers.”