Australian Economy Australian interest rates

Soft wage growth eases inflation concerns

Wednesday 19 August 2026

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has released the wage price index for the June quarter, which rose by 0.8% over the quarter to be 3.2% higher year-over-year:

The result was in line with analysts’ expectations but 0.1% below what the Reserve Bank had forecast in its latest Statement of Monetary Policy.

Over the year, total annual wage growth decelerated by 0.2% from 3.4% to 3.2%.

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About the author

Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.