US EditionAustralia's Lowest Paid Workers Just Got a 3.5% Wage Increase. Their Next Boost Could Be Even Better
- The Fair Work Commission awarded a 3.5% pay rise to millions of Australia's lowest paid workers starting July 1, 2025.
- The increase follows the commission's annual wage review amid calls from unions for up to 4.5% and business groups for no more than 2.5%.
- The national minimum wage will increase to nearly $25 per hour, resulting in a weekly pay of $948 for those working a standard 38-hour week, impacting around 20% of workers across Australia.
- Commission president Justice Adam Hatcher noted employees reliant on minimum wages lost real earnings since 2021 due to inflation surges, stating, "the loss in the real value of wages will become permanently embedded."
- The 3.5% increase produces a modest 1% real wage gain, yet lowest paid workers still earn less in real terms than before the 2021-2022 inflation spike, indicating possible stronger future wage policy changes.
26 Articles
26 Articles
Australia's lowest paid workers just got a 3.5% wage increase. Their next boost could be even better
A week ago, the Australian Financial Review released this year's "Rich List." It reported the number of billionaires in Australia increased from 150 to 166 between 2024 and 2025.
Australia’s lowest paid workers just got a 3.5% wage increase. Their next boost could be even better
Carlos Castilla/ShutterstockA week ago, the Australian Financial Review released this year’s “Rich List”. It reported the number of billionaires in Australia increased from 150 to 166 between 2024 and 2025. A very different story is happening at the other end of the market. On Tuesday the Fair Work Commission awarded the lowest paid 20% of wage earners a 3.5% increase as a result of its annual review. The commission acknowledged even with this i…
Minimum wage rise impact, and petrol prices climb on weak Aussie dollar
SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with Julie Lee from FTSE Russell about the impact of the Fair Work Commission's 3.5% rise to the minimum wage along with the rest of the day's sharemarket news, plus Rhayna Bosch finds out why petrol prices have risen despite a fall in the global oil price with Vivek Dhar from the Commonwealth Bank.
Australian Minimum Wage to Increase by 3.5 Percent
With inflation slowing and wage stagnation still fresh, the Fair Work Commission (FWC) has granted a 3.5 percent pay rise for millions of low-paid workers starting July 1. The national minimum wage will now climb to $24.95 an hour or $948 per week, based on a 38-hour work week. The move is expected to affect about 3 million minimum-wage workers across Australia, mainly in accommodation, restaurant, retail, and admin. Workplace Relations Minister…
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