Suggestions by Labor leader Albanese that minimum wage increases in line with inflation plus productivity growth are sustainable are wide of the mark at a time when consumer prices are rising twice as fast as the RBA would like them to. But with even employers supporting a large minimum wage hike, we now expect the Fair Work Commission to lift the minimum wage by 4% next month. While that would reduce the hit to household incomes from soaring living costs, it would add to the upward pressure on inflation.
ANZ Drop-in (19th May, 07:00 BST/14:00 SGT): Join economists from our Australia and Markets services shortly after the release of Q1 labour market data on 18th May for a discussion about the Australian growth, inflation and monetary policy outlook. Register now.
Become a client to read more
This is premium content that requires an active Capital Economics subscription to view.
Already have an account?
You may already have access to this premium content as part of a paid subscription.
Sign in to read the content in full or get details of how you can access it
Register for free
Sign up for a free account to gain:
- Unlock additional content
- Register for Capital Economics events
- Receive email updates and economist-curated newsletters
- Request a free trial of our services