-
Source: ONE News
Rises in salary and wages have slowed, with the three months to June 2009 recording its lowest increase since 1999.
According to Statistics New Zealand's Labour Cost Index, salary and wage rates increased just 0.3% in the June quarter.
In the March quarter, wages and salaries rose 0.6% and in the December 2008 quarter they rose by 0.7%.
On an annual basis, salary and wage rates increased 2.8% for the year to June - the lowest annual increase since the year to June 2005.
This follows a 3.3% rise in the year to March 2009.
Wages and salaries in the public sector rose above the overall rate, increasing 3.6% in the year to June.
Salary and wage increases in the private sector were slightly below the overall rate at 2.7% during the same period. This follows increases of 3.1% and 3.2% in the years to March 2009 and December 2008.
For the June year, the largest increases in salary and wages rates were seen in health and community services (up 4.4%) and education (up 4%).
Statistics New Zealand says that annual increases by occupation ranged from a 1.9% increase for salespeople, demonstrators and models to a 5.1% increase for health professionals.
Meanwhile, Statistics New Zealand's employment survey, also released on Tuesday, shows that fewer paid hours were worked in the year to June 2009, down 3.4% on the year to June 2008.
The decrease was led by the manufacturing sector which has
suffered declines in employment and hours during the economic
downturn.
