The History of Australia's Minimum Wage Since 1906: Graph Included

The Fair Work Commission increased award rates by 3.3% which has been applied nationally. A week later, in a reactive movement, the WA Industrial Relations Commission has said that the State should increase its minimum wage by 2.3%.

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(source: Wikipedia)

The commissions ruling will lift the weekly minimum to $708.90, representing a $16 weekly increase. Effective as of July 1 2017, the lowest income earners will experience some financial reprieve.

Converted into the modern day Australian dollar value, the $16 increase is equivalent to nearly 10% of a women's minimum wage in 1902.

Provided by the Fairwork Commission, here is an annotated graph of minimum wage changes from 1906 to 2013.

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(Sourced from the Fair Work Commission report "The history of the Australian Minimum Wage)


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