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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Business
Greg Jericho

As real wage growth falls again, Australian workers must feel the economy is rigged against them

Workers in Melbourne CBD walk along the street
‘It is a tad unnerving to discover that wages in 2025 rose just 3.4% – below the annual inflation rate of 3.8%,’ Greg Jericho writes. Photograph: Diego Fedele/AAP

In 2025 wages grew slower than inflation, which means that wages clearly are not the cause of rising prices. Not only have workers seen their purchasing power decline, but the RBA’s decision to raise interest rates has once again punished them for inflation that was not their fault.

Before I go any further, excuse me while I go to the calendar and mark off yet another three months without a wage breakout. It’s a ritual I have been able to do my entire working life.

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