The annual wage review decision was handed down this morning, with the Fair Work Commission deciding to increase the national minimum wage and award minimum wage rates by 4.75% from 1 July 2026.
About 21% of all Australian employees will benefit from the increase. These group of workers are predominantly female, work part-time or casual hours, and make up around 11% of Australia’s total ‘wage bill’. They are also concentrated in four main industries: accommodation and food services, retail trade, administrative and support services, and health care and social assistance services.
While the increase affects only one in five workers, the decision tends to set a benchmark for employees seeking pay rises across the workforce as a whole.
