The average weekly income for all groups in the community has gone up in the last year, says Statistics New Zealand. Income from sources other than investments was $494, up 4.2 per cent on last year's average.
"This was due to the increasing proportion of the population in paid employment, a
3.6 per cent rise in average weekly income for those in paid employment ... and an increase of 1.7 per cent ... for those not in paid employment," said spokesman Brian Pink.
Those in paid employment now earned on average $686 and the unemployed earned $176 a week. Benefits and pensions were increased this year to allow for inflation.
Wage and salary owners had a rise of 2 per cent, but the self-employed increased their average income by 8.9 per cent.
