Australians’ wages increase faster than inflation for fourth quarter running

ABS confirms wage price index rose an annual rate of 3.5% in September quarter, bringing some relief to households battling cost of living pressures

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Australians' wages have increased faster than inflation for a fourth quarter in a row, bringing some relief to households battling with cost-of-living pressures.

The wage price index rose at an annual rate of 3.5% in the September quarter, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday. That result compared with a pace of 3.6% expected by economists and the 4.1% rate reported by the ABS for the June quarter. Annual headline consumer inflation was 2.8% for the July-September period.