London Dave
1 Mar 2002, 03:51
An article from the age
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/02/28/1014704981571.html
"New official figures show that 87 per cent of all net job growth for employees in the past three years was in jobs paying less than the average wage.
In findings that show the divide between rich and poor households, Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released yesterday show that the rest of the nation's job growth since 1998 has been in jobs paying more than twice the average wage.
Of the 527,000 employee jobs created between 1998 and 2001, just 600 or 0.1 per cent were the middle-income jobs Australians once aspired to - jobs paying between $700 and $1400 a week.
The figures show that average wages over the three years rose by 16.6 per cent to $695 a week. Indexing its 1998 data for that wage growth, Australia since then has generated 462,000 new jobs paying less than the average wage, but just 72,000 paying more than the average wage.
The latest figures confirm earlier research by economists Jeff Borland, Bob Gregory and Peter Sheehan in their book Work Rich, Work Poor, showing that in the 1990s the number of middle-income jobs actually declined. All job growth was at one end or other, and average wages grew 40 per cent for managers but just 4per cent for basic sales and service workers.
In the past three years the margin for skills and knowledge rose further. For those at the bottom, full-time wages rose just 9 per cent while prices rose 11per cent. But service workers with advanced skills enjoyed a 22 per cent wage rise.
The same trend has caused three startling changes:
Migrants from non-English-speaking countries now earn higher wages on average than people born here. The new wave of skilled migrants has lifted their average wage from $577 to $707 in three years, a rise of 22.5 per cent, whereas wages of Australian-born people rose just 15per cent, from $578 to $667.
Workers over 55 have reaped the biggest increases in average wages since 1998, as those not wanted by the market lose their jobs while those with specialist skills and knowledge stay on.
The number of Australians belonging to a union rose marginally last year after years of decline.
The figures show that unionists on average earn far more than those not in unions: 40 per cent of them earn more than $800 a week, compared to just 25 per cent of non-unionists. It also found 90 per cent of unionists receive annual leave and/or sick leave, compared to just 67 per cent of non-unionists. "
Pretty interesting numbers I reckon, I'd love to know what the % of jobs paying over the 'average' wage is, and how the 'average' wage compares to what is a 'living' wage. I always suspected a lot of the jobs 'created' were part time/casual ones. I suppose the story will be 'spun' by political rivals in the time honoured tradition, but it seems to suggest education/skills are more important than they perhaps were 20 odd years ago. food for thought, especially for big footyites currently in full time study!
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/02/28/1014704981571.html
"New official figures show that 87 per cent of all net job growth for employees in the past three years was in jobs paying less than the average wage.
In findings that show the divide between rich and poor households, Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released yesterday show that the rest of the nation's job growth since 1998 has been in jobs paying more than twice the average wage.
Of the 527,000 employee jobs created between 1998 and 2001, just 600 or 0.1 per cent were the middle-income jobs Australians once aspired to - jobs paying between $700 and $1400 a week.
The figures show that average wages over the three years rose by 16.6 per cent to $695 a week. Indexing its 1998 data for that wage growth, Australia since then has generated 462,000 new jobs paying less than the average wage, but just 72,000 paying more than the average wage.
The latest figures confirm earlier research by economists Jeff Borland, Bob Gregory and Peter Sheehan in their book Work Rich, Work Poor, showing that in the 1990s the number of middle-income jobs actually declined. All job growth was at one end or other, and average wages grew 40 per cent for managers but just 4per cent for basic sales and service workers.
In the past three years the margin for skills and knowledge rose further. For those at the bottom, full-time wages rose just 9 per cent while prices rose 11per cent. But service workers with advanced skills enjoyed a 22 per cent wage rise.
The same trend has caused three startling changes:
Migrants from non-English-speaking countries now earn higher wages on average than people born here. The new wave of skilled migrants has lifted their average wage from $577 to $707 in three years, a rise of 22.5 per cent, whereas wages of Australian-born people rose just 15per cent, from $578 to $667.
Workers over 55 have reaped the biggest increases in average wages since 1998, as those not wanted by the market lose their jobs while those with specialist skills and knowledge stay on.
The number of Australians belonging to a union rose marginally last year after years of decline.
The figures show that unionists on average earn far more than those not in unions: 40 per cent of them earn more than $800 a week, compared to just 25 per cent of non-unionists. It also found 90 per cent of unionists receive annual leave and/or sick leave, compared to just 67 per cent of non-unionists. "
Pretty interesting numbers I reckon, I'd love to know what the % of jobs paying over the 'average' wage is, and how the 'average' wage compares to what is a 'living' wage. I always suspected a lot of the jobs 'created' were part time/casual ones. I suppose the story will be 'spun' by political rivals in the time honoured tradition, but it seems to suggest education/skills are more important than they perhaps were 20 odd years ago. food for thought, especially for big footyites currently in full time study!