Labour market confidence ticks up but wage pressures missing in action

Tue, 15 Jan 2019

By Rebecca Howard Jan. 16 (BusinessDesk) - Confidence in the labour market rose strongly in December, reaching its highest level since early 2008, but wage pressures remain tepid. The Westpac McDermott Miller employee confidence index rose 6.8 points to 121.3 in the December quarter, where a reading of 100 separates overall optimism from pessimism. "The labour market is in great shape according to employees,” said Westpac chief economist Dominick Stephens. “Demand for workers has remained strong, and the official unemployment rate has...

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