Wage index increases for December 2020

By Adel Fruean 22 February 2021, 12:00PM

Samoa’s wage index has recorded a slight increase of 0.7 per cent in the December 2020 quarter when compared to the corresponding quarter of 2019.

This increase was highlighted in a recent report issued by Samoa Bureau of Statistics (S.B.S.) titled “Employment Statistics for September 2020 Quarter". The wage index is a measure of change on the wages and salaries.

According to the report, wages and salaries for the period under review recorded a 0.02 per cent year-on-year increase from $142.06 million in December 2019 to $142.08 million in the period under review.

“The wage index continues to grow positively for the five consecutive quarters,” reads the S.B.S. report.

The report also added that in the quarter under review, the growth in wage index was attributed mainly to the increase in wages paid out to employees working in industries such as water, food manufacturing, business services, electricity, other manufacturing and education with increases of 28.2 per cent, 25.6 per cent, 20.0 per cent, 14.8 per cent, 13.4 per cent and 12.6 per cent respectively. 

Furthermore, the total wages in the period under review amounted to $142.1 million with males receiving the biggest share with 53.8 per cent of total wages in the December 2020 quarter compared to females who received the remaining 46.2 per cent. 

The quarterly average wages for December 2020 quarter amounted to $5,869. 

While males may have received the largest share of total wages, their average wage was much less compared to females. The male quarterly average wages amounted to $5,556 whereas female quarterly average wages amounted to $6,280.

In terms of employment composition by sex, communication topped the average quarterly male earnings list recording its highest average wages of $10,600. 

The communication industry accounted for only 3.0 per cent of the total number of males employed in the period. 

The public administration employed 20.6 per cent of the total male employment and has the highest total wages pay out of $22.4 million. However, this sector came fifth in terms of average wages which amounted to $7,932.

Commerce was the second biggest employer for males recording an average quarterly wage of $3,493 to make it the fourth lowest average wages for males.

Similar to males, the public administration was the biggest employer for females (employing 31.5 per cent of employed female) and also had the highest total wages paid ($26.8 million). 

However, it was not the highest in terms of average wages which stood at $8,159 ranking the industry fourth highest in female average quarterly wages. 

Electricity recorded the highest average quarterly wages of $10,330; employing about 0.7 per cent of the total employed females. Water recorded the second highest average quarterly wage of $9,220. 

The lowest average quarterly wage for females were reported in the accommodation, other services, restaurants and agriculture industries with average quarterly wages of. Total wages paid amounted to $566.2 million.

Total average yearly wages received in the year ended December 2020 was $23,235. Females were recorded to have had the highest average yearly wage of $24,622 while males average yearly wage amounted to $22,178.

By Adel Fruean 22 February 2021, 12:00PM

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