Where is all this wage growth coming from?

Hospitality workers saw wages rise significantly in the past year. (Image: NZME)

Fri, 04 Nov 2022

If you've noticed that your coffee, restaurant meal or hotel room seems more expensive of late, look no further than the cost of labour for these businesses. The average hourly wage is up by 12% in the past 12 months for workers in the hospitality (accommodation and food industry) – from about $25 an hour to $28 an hour.Before covid-19 closed the border to most migrants, these workers were taking home a more minimum wage-like $22 an hour for their toil.This wage growth can also help explain why the age of your barista is falling....

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