Average Incomes Rise

Average Incomes Rise

Latest findings from the New Zealand Income Survey for the June 2003 quarter were released today by Statistics New Zealand.

Average hourly earnings for wage and salary workers rose by 6.9 percent between the June 2002 and June 2003 quarters to reach $17.82. Average hourly earnings for females increased by $1.22 to $16.57, while average hourly earnings for males increased by $1.08 to $19.02.

For people in paid employment, including the self-employed, average weekly income from wages and salaries rose by 5.5 percent.

– Average weekly full-time wage and salary income for males was $857 and for females $685, increases of $40 and $26, respectively, from the June 2002 quarter. – Average weekly part-time wage and salary income for males rose $32 to $265 and for females rose $29 to $258.

The highest average weekly income from all sources for those in paid employment was received by those aged between 45 and 54 years.

Average weekly income for all people from all sources rose by 5.1 percent to $539. This was mainly due to the rise in average weekly income from wages and salaries coupled with a rise in the numbers in paid employment.

All ethnic groups showed an increase in average weekly income from all sources, with European/Päkehä income increasing by $29 and Mäori income increasing by $22.

The proportion of people receiving investment income dropped from 34.6 percent in the June 2002 quarter to 31.8 percent in the June 2003 quarter. However, the average amount of investment income for those receiving such income rose from $77 per week to $95 per week.

Wellington region had the highest average weekly income for all people in the June 2003 quarter at $607, followed by Auckland at $588 and Taranaki at $525. The lowest average weekly incomes were in the Otago region at $442 and the Northland region at $459.

The average weekly household income in the June 2003 quarter was $1,171, an increase of 5.0 percent from the June 2002 quarter ($1,116). The median weekly household income rose 3.0 percent to $951. 'One parent with dependent children only' households received the lowest average weekly household income of $505, up from $493 in the June 2002 quarter.

Brian Pink

Government Statistician

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