Minimum Wage Increase

17 January 2019

The government stayed true to its policy position by announcing that the rate will increase to $17.70/hour on 1 April.   We expected that level of increase because it reflects a “straight line” approach to moving the minimum rate to $20.00/hour by 1 April 2021.  If the increase had been lower, the government would have looked weak.  Instead it has confirmed a further increase to $18.90 on 1 April 2020, and then $20.00 on 1 April 2021.