The Wage Price Index (WPI) rose 0.9 per cent in the March quarter 2025, and 3.4 per cent annually, according to seasonally adjusted data released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
| Quarterly (%) | Annual (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Mar-06 | 1.0 | 4.1 |
| Jun-06 | 1.0 | 4.0 |
| Sep-06 | 0.9 | 4.0 |
| Dec-06 | 1.1 | 4.1 |
| Mar-07 | 1.0 | 4.0 |
| Jun-07 | 1.1 | 4.1 |
| Sep-07 | 1.1 | 4.3 |
| Dec-07 | 0.8 | 4.0 |
| Mar-08 | 1.0 | 4.1 |
| Jun-08 | 1.1 | 4.2 |
| Sep-08 | 1.1 | 4.2 |
| Dec-08 | 0.9 | 4.3 |
| Mar-09 | 0.9 | 4.1 |
| Jun-09 | 0.8 | 3.8 |
| Sep-09 | 0.4 | 3.0 |
| Dec-09 | 0.8 | 2.9 |
| Mar-10 | 1.0 | 3.0 |
| Jun-10 | 0.8 | 3.0 |
| Sep-10 | 1.1 | 3.6 |
| Dec-10 | 1.0 | 3.9 |
| Mar-11 | 0.9 | 3.9 |
| Jun-11 | 0.7 | 3.8 |
| Sep-11 | 0.8 | 3.6 |
| Dec-11 | 1.0 | 3.6 |
| Mar-12 | 1.0 | 3.6 |
| Jun-12 | 0.9 | 3.8 |
| Sep-12 | 0.8 | 3.8 |
| Dec-12 | 0.7 | 3.4 |
| Mar-13 | 0.7 | 3.1 |
| Jun-13 | 0.6 | 2.8 |
| Sep-13 | 0.6 | 2.6 |
| Dec-13 | 0.7 | 2.6 |
| Mar-14 | 0.8 | 2.7 |
| Jun-14 | 0.5 | 2.6 |
| Sep-14 | 0.6 | 2.6 |
| Dec-14 | 0.6 | 2.5 |
| Mar-15 | 0.6 | 2.3 |
| Jun-15 | 0.5 | 2.3 |
| Sep-15 | 0.6 | 2.3 |
| Dec-15 | 0.5 | 2.2 |
| Mar-16 | 0.5 | 2.1 |
| Jun-16 | 0.5 | 2.1 |
| Sep-16 | 0.4 | 1.9 |
| Dec-16 | 0.5 | 1.9 |
| Mar-17 | 0.6 | 1.9 |
| Jun-17 | 0.5 | 1.9 |
| Sep-17 | 0.5 | 2.0 |
| Dec-17 | 0.6 | 2.1 |
| Mar-18 | 0.5 | 2.0 |
| Jun-18 | 0.6 | 2.1 |
| Sep-18 | 0.6 | 2.3 |
| Dec-18 | 0.5 | 2.3 |
| Mar-19 | 0.5 | 2.3 |
| Jun-19 | 0.6 | 2.3 |
| Sep-19 | 0.5 | 2.2 |
| Dec-19 | 0.5 | 2.2 |
| Mar-20 | 0.5 | 2.2 |
| Jun-20 | 0.2 | 1.8 |
| Sep-20 | 0.1 | 1.4 |
| Dec-20 | 0.5 | 1.3 |
| Mar-21 | 0.7 | 1.5 |
| Jun-21 | 0.5 | 1.8 |
| Sep-21 | 0.4 | 2.2 |
| Dec-21 | 0.7 | 2.4 |
| Mar-22 | 0.7 | 2.4 |
| Jun-22 | 0.8 | 2.6 |
| Sep-22 | 1.0 | 3.2 |
| Dec-22 | 0.8 | 3.3 |
| Mar-23 | 1.0 | 3.7 |
| Jun-23 | 0.8 | 3.7 |
| Sep-23 | 1.3 | 4.0 |
| Dec-23 | 1.1 | 4.3 |
| Mar-24 | 0.7 | 4.0 |
| Jun-24 | 0.9 | 4.1 |
| Sep-24 | 0.9 | 3.6 |
| Dec-24 | 0.7 | 3.2 |
| Mar-25 | 0.9 | 3.4 |
- See Interpretation of index numbers, Percentage change and rounding on the Methodology page.
Michelle Marquardt, ABS head of prices statistics said: 'Annual wage growth ticked up for the first time since the June quarter 2024. The 3.4 per cent increase in wages for the year to the March quarter 2025 was higher than the 3.2 per cent to the December quarter 2024, but lower than the 4.0 per cent at the same time last year.'
Seasonally adjusted private sector annual wage growth was unchanged from the December quarter at 3.3 per cent. Annual public sector wage growth was higher than the private sector at 3.6 per cent in the March quarter 2025, up from 2.9 per cent in the December quarter 2024.
| Private (%) | Public (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Mar-10 | 2.6 | 4.3 |
| Jun-10 | 2.8 | 4.0 |
| Sep-10 | 3.5 | 4.0 |
| Dec-10 | 3.8 | 4.0 |
| Mar-11 | 4.0 | 3.6 |
| Jun-11 | 3.8 | 3.7 |
| Sep-11 | 3.7 | 3.3 |
| Dec-11 | 3.8 | 3.2 |
| Mar-12 | 3.7 | 3.1 |
| Jun-12 | 3.9 | 3.3 |
| Sep-12 | 3.7 | 3.4 |
| Dec-12 | 3.4 | 3.3 |
| Mar-13 | 3.2 | 3.1 |
| Jun-13 | 3.0 | 2.8 |
| Sep-13 | 2.8 | 2.6 |
| Dec-13 | 2.5 | 2.7 |
| Mar-14 | 2.6 | 2.9 |
| Jun-14 | 2.4 | 2.8 |
| Sep-14 | 2.4 | 2.7 |
| Dec-14 | 2.5 | 2.7 |
| Mar-15 | 2.2 | 2.5 |
| Jun-15 | 2.2 | 2.5 |
| Sep-15 | 2.1 | 2.7 |
| Dec-15 | 2.0 | 2.6 |
| Mar-16 | 2.0 | 2.5 |
| Jun-16 | 2.0 | 2.4 |
| Sep-16 | 1.9 | 2.3 |
| Dec-16 | 1.8 | 2.3 |
| Mar-17 | 1.8 | 2.3 |
| Jun-17 | 1.8 | 2.5 |
| Sep-17 | 1.9 | 2.4 |
| Dec-17 | 1.9 | 2.4 |
| Mar-18 | 1.9 | 2.4 |
| Jun-18 | 2.1 | 2.3 |
| Sep-18 | 2.1 | 2.6 |
| Dec-18 | 2.3 | 2.5 |
| Mar-19 | 2.4 | 2.4 |
| Jun-19 | 2.3 | 2.7 |
| Sep-19 | 2.2 | 2.4 |
| Dec-19 | 2.2 | 2.2 |
| Mar-20 | 2.1 | 2.3 |
| Jun-20 | 1.8 | 2.1 |
| Sep-20 | 1.2 | 1.8 |
| Dec-20 | 1.3 | 1.6 |
| Mar-21 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Jun-21 | 1.9 | 1.3 |
| Sep-21 | 2.3 | 1.7 |
| Dec-21 | 2.4 | 2.2 |
| Mar-22 | 2.4 | 2.2 |
| Jun-22 | 2.7 | 2.4 |
| Sep-22 | 3.4 | 2.4 |
| Dec-22 | 3.6 | 2.5 |
| Mar-23 | 3.8 | 3.0 |
| Jun-23 | 3.9 | 3.1 |
| Sep-23 | 4.2 | 3.5 |
| Dec-23 | 4.2 | 4.3 |
| Mar-24 | 4.2 | 3.7 |
| Jun-24 | 4.1 | 3.9 |
| Sep-24 | 3.5 | 3.7 |
| Dec-24 | 3.3 | 2.9 |
| Mar-25 | 3.3 | 3.6 |
- See Interpretation of index numbers, Percentage change and rounding on the Methodology page.
In the March quarter 2025, seasonally adjusted private sector wages rose 0.9 per cent, while public sector wages rose 1.0 per cent.
'Private sector wage growth was also influenced by administrative wage adjustments due to the Stage 3 Aged Care Work Value Case, and the Early Childhood Education and Care Worker Retention Payment. It was also impacted by regular March quarter wage and salary reviews,' Ms Marquardt said.
'Wages growth in the public sector was impacted by new state-based enterprise agreements, and to a lesser degree, increases paid to aged care workers.'
'Jobs covered by enterprise agreements contributed to over half of all quarterly growth, for the first time since September 2020,' Ms Marquardt said.
The larger than usual March quarter contribution from enterprise agreement-covered jobs was mainly driven by the new state-based enterprise agreements in the public sector.
| Enterprise Agreement | Individual Arrangement | Award | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar-20 | 0.22 | 0.16 | 0.04 |
| Jun-20 | 0.13 | -0.11 | 0.01 |
| Sep-20 | 0.23 | 0.17 | 0.05 |
| Dec-20 | 0.14 | 0.28 | 0.07 |
| Mar-21 | 0.20 | 0.22 | 0.11 |
| Jun-21 | 0.09 | 0.19 | 0.01 |
| Sep-21 | 0.32 | 0.41 | 0.17 |
| Dec-21 | 0.22 | 0.30 | 0.13 |
| Mar-22 | 0.20 | 0.28 | 0.01 |
| Jun-22 | 0.18 | 0.36 | 0.00 |
| Sep-22 | 0.36 | 0.75 | 0.41 |
| Dec-22 | 0.27 | 0.42 | 0.15 |
| Mar-23 | 0.34 | 0.37 | 0.02 |
| Jun-23 | 0.22 | 0.35 | 0.00 |
| Sep-23 | 0.66 | 0.74 | 0.63 |
| Dec-23 | 0.45 | 0.39 | 0.12 |
| Mar-24 | 0.21 | 0.34 | 0.02 |
| Jun-24 | 0.23 | 0.32 | 0.01 |
| Sep-24 | 0.46 | 0.59 | 0.36 |
| Dec-24 | 0.26 | 0.33 | 0.02 |
| Mar-25 | 0.41 | 0.28 | 0.07 |
- Analytical series is total hourly rates of pay excluding bonuses.
- See Method used to calculate analytical series 'Contribution to wages growth by method of setting pay' on the Methodology page.
- See Analytical series index numbers, Appendix B index numbers, methods of setting pay on the Methodology page.
