The Essential Report Archive Read the latest report

Minimum wage

3 Feb 2015

Q. The current Australian minimum wage for adult workers is $16.37 per hour or $640.90 for a 38-hour week. Do you think this is too high, too low or about right?

 

Total

 

Vote Labor

Vote Lib/Nat

Vote Greens

Vote other

 

Work full time

Work part time

Total too low

61%

69%

43%

73%

74%

51%

68%

Total too high

6%

2%

12%

6%

3%

10%

2%

Much too low

25%

31%

13%

28%

34%

22%

29%

A little to low

36%

38%

30%

45%

40%

29%

39%

About right

27%

24%

39%

18%

19%

32%

24%

A little too high

3%

1%

7%

1%

2%

5%

2%

Much too high

3%

1%

5%

5%

1%

5%

Don’t know

7%

5%

6%

2%

4%

6%

7%

61% believe that the current minimum wage is too low, 27% think it is about right and 6% think it is too high.

Those most likely to think it is too low were Greens voters (73%), Labor voters (69%), part time workers (68%) and women (67%).

Error: