New Zealand Income Survey: June 2005 quarter

Embargoed until 10:45am — 6 October 2005

Average Incomes Increase

Average weekly gross income for all people from all sources was $586 in the June 2005 quarter, up 5.8 percent from the June 2004 quarter, Statistics New Zealand said today. Average weekly income from all sources was $738 for males and $442 for females.

The main contributor to the increase in average weekly income was wages and salaries. Average weekly income from wages and salaries for people in paid employment increased 7.6 percent in the June 2005 quarter, to $592, due to a rise in hours worked and an increase in hourly earnings.

Average hourly earnings were $19.30 in the June 2005 quarter, up 5.8 percent from the June 2004 quarter. Significant increases in average hourly earnings occurred in the following occupations: agriculture and fisheries workers (13.7 percent); trades workers (9.5 percent); and plant and machine operators and assemblers (7.3 percent).

People aged 45 to 49 had the highest average weekly income for all people ($817) in the June 2005 quarter. This age group also had the highest average weekly income for males ($1,082) and females ($563).

People in the Auckland region had the highest average weekly income for all people in the June 2005 quarter ($629), followed by Wellington ($613) and Canterbury ($609).

The average weekly household income in the June 2005 quarter was $1,260, an increase of 4.7 percent from the June 2004 quarter average of $1,203. Median weekly household income rose 4.9 percent to $1,040.

Brian Pink
Government Statistician

ENDS

There is a companion Hot Off The Press information release published: New Zealand Income Survey: June 2005 quarter.

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