Wages Lag Behind Inflation | Auckland News

Wages are falling behind inflation, leaving most workers worse off in real terms—pay rose just 2% while prices jumped 4.1%. The average hourly wage is now $44.62, and full-time earners take home about $1,730 weekly. Some sectors like wood manufacturing saw bigger gains (3%), while others like construction lagged (1.6%). Economists warn this wage gap is squeezing budgets, especially as essentials like fuel and food climb. Workers are logging more hours to maintain income, but weak labor market power and business constraints limit pay hikes. Alarmingly, 46% of raises were directly tied to cost-of-living demands—a sign of worker resilience, but also a potential inflation warning for the Reserve Bank. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/2968c87f511413c0