Median earnings up for New Zealand workers, along with gender pay gap

Median weekly earnings for New Zealanders saw their largest annual rise in nine years in the June quarter, the government statistics agency said Friday.

The median weekly income from paid employment was up 5 percent year on year to 924 NZ dollars (659 U.S. dollars) the highest rise since June 2007, according to Statistics New Zealand.

"A rise in the proportion of full-time wage and salary earners, and the number of hours being worked, together pushed up median earnings for workers," labor and income statistics manager Mark Gordon said in a statement.

"While the increase in weekly earnings is similar to that before the 2008 economic downturn, increases in hourly wages were more modest," Gordon said.

"Median hourly earnings from wages and salaries increased 2.9 percent, similar to increases in the past seven years, but well below the 6.1-percent increase 10 years ago."

However, Minister for Women Lousie Upston expressed disappointment at an widening gender pay gap revealed in the figures.

The gender pay gap was now 12 percent, up from 11.8 percent in 2015, Upston said in a statement.

"While it's been encouraging to see a downwards trend in gender pay gap figures over the past 17 years, this yea's result is disappointing," said Upston

"Closing the gender pay gap requires making conscious, measured and reported efforts to tackle pay differences between men and women," she said.

Employers needed to focus on tackling the barriers that prevented women from advancing their careers, and ensure women were fully valued for the work they do. Endit