Figures today from the government’s Statistical Office show New Zealander’s wages are growing at their highest rate for many years. There are two measures of wages:

   the Labour Cost Index - which showed wages up 3.1 percent in the year to September 2005.

   the Quarterly Employment Survey - which showed annual wage growth at 4.2 percent.

The average wage in New Zealand is now $21.17 per hour.

The Accommodation / cafe / restaurant sector has the lowest wages, averaging $13.65 per hour. Jobs in the electricity, gas and water sectors are best paid, averaging $29.55 per hour. Average wages sorted for different employment sectors are shown here.

In recent years, public sector wages in New Zealand have grown faster than private sector wages. The latest figures show this trend is continuing. The Labour Cost Index shows public sector wages up 3.6 percent while private sector wages are up 2.8 percent.

Employment levels in New Zealand are still increasing. The number of full-time equivalent employees rose 4 percent and filled jobs were up by 3.5 percent.