Little change in income for second year

New Zealand Income Survey results for the June 2010 quarter showed income slightly decreased (a non-significant change) since the June 2009 quarter, Statistics New Zealand said today.

The New Zealand Income Survey is an annual survey that is run during the June quarter (April to June) and provides a snapshot of income statistics about people and households.

Median weekly income for all people from all sources slightly decreased to $529, compared with the June 2009 quarter figure of $538 and the June 2008 quarter figure of $536. A small rise in wage and salary income was offset by decreases in other sources of income.

Median weekly wage and salary income for those receiving wage and salary income slightly increased by 1.2 percent since the June 2009 quarter. This is the lowest annual movement recorded for the NZ Income Survey since the June 1999 quarter. While there was a slight rise in income from wages and salaries, the proportion of the working age population receiving this form of income has slightly decreased since the June 2009 quarter (from 54.1 percent to 53.5 percent).

Median hourly earnings from wages and salaries rose by $0.53. This is the smallest rise recorded in hourly earnings for the NZ Income Survey since 2003.

Median weekly income from government transfers for those receiving government transfer income slightly decreased by $4 to $269. The number of people receiving government transfers has increased significantly by 54,400 (4.9 percent) since the June 2009 quarter. In the last two years the number of people receiving government transfers has increased by 88,100 (8.3 percent).

Since the June 2009 quarter, median weekly income from self-employment, for those receiving self-employment income fell $38 (6.3 percent) to $575. Median weekly income from investments for those receiving investment income, dropped by $3 to $12.