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Highlights
- As per the ABS, Australia saw a 0.4% increase in payroll jobs in the first half of October.
- Total wages paid for the week ending 15 October fell by 2.5%.
- These changes in payroll jobs and wages reflect the timing of school and public holidays in Australia.
The number of payroll jobs in Australia between the weeks ending 1 and 15 October 2022 saw a mere increase of 0.4%, while the total wages paid plunged by 2.5%, as stated in a media release by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on 10 November.
Even though the first half of October witnessed only a 0.4% increase in payroll jobs, it grew from a 0.7% decline in the second half of September. People returning to work after the school holidays is the explanation for this small increase in payroll jobs, as per ABS officials.
A glance at weekly payroll jobs and wages in Australia
States and territories:
Six out of eight states and territories faced a decline in payroll jobs in the fortnight to 15 October. The largest change was reported in Queensland, which was up 0.8%. Both Victoria and Western Australia saw a 0.5% jump in payroll jobs. Wages, on the other hand, fell in all eight states and territories in the first two weeks of October. New South Wales and Western Australia were affected the most, down 3.4% and 2.6%, respectively.
Industries:
Compared with mid-September, 12 of the 19 industries witnessed a decline in the number of payroll jobs in mid-October. However, in the fortnight to 15 October, six of the 19 industries saw increases in payroll jobs. Retail and education and training were the industries with the most positive changes, up 1.3% and 1.1%, respectively. The retail industry, together with construction, accounted for about 59% of the increases in the first half of October. This number was higher than both industries’ usual share, which is 16%.
The percentage change in total wages (by industry) in the fortnight to 15 October fell for all industries except agriculture, forestry, and fishing, which was up 0.6%. The information media and telecommunications industry, down 12.1%, and mining industry, down 10.4%, faced the largest changes.
Talking about these industry-wise mid-October payroll jobs and wage numbers, Bjorn Jarvis, the head of labour statistics at the ABS, said:
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Data Source: ABS media release dated 10 November 2022
How did seasonality affect wages in October?
Many industries paid periodic bonuses in the month of September, which accelerated seasonality into October in terms of wages. The total wages paid in the fortnight to 15 October fell 5.5% as a reflection of these periodic bonuses.
