Australia Yearbook - 2001

742 Year Book Australia 2001
20.19 PRICE INDEX OF MATERIALS USED IN BUILDING OTHER THAN HOUSE BUILDING(a)
Material 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00
Structural timber 127.1 128.3 120.5 116.4 121.7 125.4 131.1
Clay bricks 107.8 111.0 110.0 108.7 114.6 119.1 123.7
Ready mixed concrete 106.7 112.4 108.2 106.6 107.2 106.3 103.6
Steel decking cladding and sheet products 107.5 108.9 110.9 112.9 114.9 114.4 114.9
Structural steel 104.3 105.3 109.3 112.5 113.1 113.4 112.0
Reinforcing steel bar fabric and mesh 112.7 111.5 112.0 111.6 112.7 109.9 104.5
Aluminium windows 99.7 105.4 108.4 108.5 109.0 110.5 114.3
Non-ferrous pipes and fittings 102.4 118.1 129.4 128.8 135.6 128.6 131.5
Builders’ hardware 115.3 116.6 119.5 118.3 120.0 123.4 130.0
Paint and other coatings 119.9 123.3 129.1 135.7 136.0 142.7 148.8
All groups 107.5 110.4 112.7 113.2 114.2 115.2 116.1
(a) Reference base year 1989–90 = 100.0.
Source: Price Index of Materials Used in Building Other Than House Building, Six State Capital Cities (6407.0).
Average weekly earnings in
the construction industry
Average weekly earnings provide useful
information on the cost of labour in the
construction industry. This complements the
information provided in the previous section
on the cost of materials in the industry.
Average weekly earnings for wage and salary
earners have generally increased steadily in the
construction industry over most of past seven
years. The May 2000 estimate was the exception
to this general rise, with a fall from the May 1999
estimate of around $30 per week for both the
full-time adult employees and all employees
categories. The fall was brought about by
compositional changes in the survey population
for this reference period.
Notwithstanding the fall in May 2000, average
weekly earnings for all employees in the
construction industry continued to be higher
than the all industries average. In May 2000 the
average weekly earnings of $720 for all employees
in the construction industry was 13% more than
the all industries average.
20.20 AVERAGE WEEKLY EARNINGS, Construction and All Industries
Construction
Full-time adult
employees
All employees
Full-time adult
employees
All industries
All employees
$
$
$
$
May 1993 646 579 633 518
May 1994 709 635 656 532
May 1995 730 662 688 548
May 1996 751 681 715 564
May 1997 792 718 737 578
May 1998 808 739 768 596
May 1999 831 750 791 611
May 2000 (a)797 (a)720 822 636
(a) Fall due to compositional changes. Several aspects can contribute to such changes, including variations in the proportions of
full-time, part-time, casual and junior employees; in the occupational distribution within and across industries; in the distribution of
employment between industries; and in the proportion of male and female employees. Such effects may apply differently within
different States and Territories, and over time.
Source: Average Weekly Earnings (6302.0).