Single Touch Payroll

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (14:30): My question is to the Treasurer. Can the Treasurer update us again on the latest Single Touch Payroll figures for this week, please?

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (Treasurer) (14:30): I am sure all members excitedly await the fortnightly release of the labour force Single Touch Payroll figures by the independent Australian Bureau of Statistics. I am pleased to be able to report that the most recent fortnightly figures, which were as recent as 24 April, indicate the very strong position in terms of jobs recovery for South Australia post COVID.

As I said, the latest figures for the fortnight ending 24 April, when compared to the low point of COVID-19, which was the middle of April 2020—just on 12 months—show a 13.4 per cent increase in jobs in South Australia, the second highest of all the states and just behind Western Australia at 13.5 per cent. A number of the other jurisdictions, such as New South Wales, Tasmania and Queensland, have job growth rates of only 10 or 10½ per cent or approximately in that order and the Australian growth rate is 11.2 per cent. It is encouraging, again, to see the very strong job growth figures on the most recent figures compared to the low point of the pandemic in April of last year.

As I have indicated before, the more interesting number from my viewpoint as Treasurer is the number that for the first time actually measures employee wages. Again, that shows South Australia's wage growth figures for employees between the most recent fortnight and the low point of the pandemic in mid-April last year showing a 10.9 per cent growth, bearing in mind that this measures the fact that some households may well be getting more work and therefore the total wages for the household might have increased. It does not measure wage increases from that particular viewpoint but is the total wages going into a particular household; a combination of both wage increases but also potentially increased working hours for particular households.

That 10.9 per cent employee wage growth figure compares with the Australian figure of 9.7 per cent and the lows of New South Wales, for example, at just 8.3 per cent. South Australia's wage growth figure there is third behind Western Australia and just behind Victoria. Again, when you look at that together with some of the figures to come out, which have only just been released this morning by Business SA in relation to business conditions and business confidence, they are good indicators in terms of the state's economic recovery post COVID-19.