The Australian labour market in 2017

Oliver, D; Yu, S

The Australian labour market in 2017

Oliver, D

Yu, S

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Journal of Industrial Relations, 2018, 60 (3), pp. 298 - 316
Issue Date:: 2018-06-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Oliver, D https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0045-3013	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Yu, S https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1070-113X	en_US
dc.date.issued	2018-06-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Journal of Industrial Relations, 2018, 60 (3), pp. 298 - 316	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0022-1856	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/130455
dc.description.abstract	© 2018, © Australian Labour and Employment Relations Association (ALERA), SAGE Publications Ltd, Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore and Washington DC. Low wage growth consistently featured as the main underlying characteristic of the Australian labour market in 2017. Overall economic conditions remained weak, although unemployment was fairly static. All indicators of average wage growth declined: average weekly earnings, the wage price index and the average annual wage increase in enterprise agreements. Collective bargaining coverage continued to decline. Although the 3.3% minimum wage increase represents a modest increase in real wages for low-paid workers, the Fair Work Commission decision to reduce Sunday and public holiday penalty rates for some award-reliant workers would put further downward pressure on workers’ incomes. There were more successful applications to terminate expired enterprise agreements, including those where wage rates were thought to be uncompetitive and unsustainable. The underlying causes of low wage growth remain contested. Despite some agreement that the regulatory framework is a contributing factor, firm proposals for regulatory change are yet to emerge.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Journal of Industrial Relations	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1177/0022185618763975	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Industrial Relations	en_US
dc.title	The Australian labour market in 2017	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	3	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	60	en_US
utslib.for	1503 Business and Management	en_US
utslib.for	1402 Applied Economics	en_US
utslib.for	1801 Law	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Business
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CHERE - Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	3	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	60	en_US

Abstract:

© 2018, © Australian Labour and Employment Relations Association (ALERA), SAGE Publications Ltd, Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore and Washington DC. Low wage growth consistently featured as the main underlying characteristic of the Australian labour market in 2017. Overall economic conditions remained weak, although unemployment was fairly static. All indicators of average wage growth declined: average weekly earnings, the wage price index and the average annual wage increase in enterprise agreements. Collective bargaining coverage continued to decline. Although the 3.3% minimum wage increase represents a modest increase in real wages for low-paid workers, the Fair Work Commission decision to reduce Sunday and public holiday penalty rates for some award-reliant workers would put further downward pressure on workers’ incomes. There were more successful applications to terminate expired enterprise agreements, including those where wage rates were thought to be uncompetitive and unsustainable. The underlying causes of low wage growth remain contested. Despite some agreement that the regulatory framework is a contributing factor, firm proposals for regulatory change are yet to emerge.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/130455