Fair Work Commission

Annual Wage Review 2020–21

• Research report 3/2020 – An assessment of the economic effects of COVID-19 – Version 1
• Research report 1/2021 – An assessment of the economic effects of COVID-19 – Version 2
• Research report 2/2021 – Labour market transitions of workers during COVID-19
• Research report 3/2021 – An assessment of the economic effects of COVID-19 – Version 3
• Research report 4/2021 – An assessment of the economic effects of COVID-19 – Version 4
• Research report 5/2021 – An assessment of the economic effects of COVID-19 – Version 5

Annual Wage Review 2019–20

• Research Report 1/2020 – Prevalence and persistence of low-paid award-reliant employment (PDF)
• Research Report 2/2020 – Budget standards: international measures and approaches (PDF)
• Research Report 3/2020 – Modern Awards Database: an introduction (PDF)

Annual Wage Review 2018–19

• Overview of research to inform the Annual Wage Review 2018–19 (PDF)
• Research Report 1/2019 – Developments in wages growth (PDF)
• Research Report 2/2019 – Insights into underemployment (PDF)

Annual Wage Review 2017–18

• Overview of research to inform the Annual Wage Review 2017–18 (PDF)
• Research Report 1/2018 – Employee and employer characteristics and collective agreement coverage (PDF)
• Research Report 2/2018 – The characteristics of the underemployed and unemployed (PDF)
• Research Report 3/2018 – Characteristics of workers earning the national minimum wage rate and of the low paid (PDF)
• Research Report 4/2018 (Part I) – Methods and limitations to undertaking analysis of the employment effects of minimum wage increases (PDF)
• Research Report 4/2018 (Part II) – Prospects for research on the employment effects of minimum wages in Australia (PDF)
• Discussion paper: The UK evaluation of the impacts of increases in their minimum wage (PDF)

In addition to the reports above, in November 2017, the Commission hosted a presentation by Professor Peter Saunders and Megan Bedford on their budget standards research published in August 2017. The presentation was recorded and includes a video recording, PowerPoint slides and a transcript. 

Annual Wage Review 2016–17

• Overview of research to inform the Annual Wage Review 2016–17 (PDF)
• 1/2017 – Award-reliant workers in the household income distribution (PDF)
• 2/2017 – The youth labour market (PDF)
• 3/2017 – Factors affecting apprenticeships and traineeships (PDF)
• 4/2017 – Explaining recent trends in collective bargaining (PDF)

Annual Wage Review 2015–16

• 1/2016 – An international comparison of minimum wages and labour market outcomes (PDF)

Annual Wage Review 2014–15

• 1/2015 – Award reliance and business size: a data profile using the Australian Workplace Relations Study (PDF)

Annual Wage Review 2013–14

• 6/2013 – Award reliance (PDF)
• 7/2013 – Minimum wages and their role in the process and incentives to bargain (PDF)

Annual Wage Review 2012–13

• 1/2013 – Higher classification/professional employee award reliance qualitative research: Consolidated report (PDF)
• 2/2013 – Labour supply responses to an increase in minimum wages: An overview of the literature (PDF)
• 3/2013 – Manufacturing industry profile (PDF)
• 4/2013 – Retail trade industry profile (PDF)
• 5/2013 – Accommodation and food services industry profile (PDF)

In addition to the reports above, in August 2012, staff of the RSRT & Minimum Wages Research Team, Tribunal Services Branch, Fair Work Commission prepared and published mapping documents using the methodology described in Fair Work Australia Research Report 2/2012 – Analysing modern award coverage using the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification 2006: Phase 1 report (PDF).

The documents are available on these pages:

• Mapping documents listed by ANZSIC division
• Mapping documents listed by modern award

Annual Wage Review 2011–12

• 1/2012 – Award-reliant small businesses (PDF)
• 2/2012 – Analysing modern award coverage using the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification 2006: Phase 1 report (PDF)
• 3/2012 – Award reliance and differences in earnings by gender (PDF)
• 4/2012 – Higher classification / professional employee award reliance qualitative research: Interim report (PDF)

Annual Wage Review 2010–11

• 7/2010 – Enterprise Case Studies: Effects of minimum wage-setting at an enterprise level (PDF)
• 8/2010 – Other Services Industry (PDF)
• 9/2010 – Administrative and Support Services Industry (PDF)
• 10/2010 – Consolidated Social Research Report (PDF)
• 1/2011 – An overview of productivity, business competitiveness and viability (PDF)
• 2/2011 – Relative living standards and needs of low-paid employees: definition and measurement (PDF)
• 3/2011 – Employees earning below the Federal Minimum Wage: Review of data, characteristics and potential explanatory factors (PDF)
• 4/2011 – Research framework and data strategy (PDF)
• 5/2011 – Review of equal remuneration principles (PDF)
• 6/2011 – Australian apprentice minimum wages in the national system (PDF)
  • Appendices

Annual Wage Review 2009–10

• 1/2010 – An overview of compositional change in the Australian labour market and award reliance. Also in PDF format
• 2/2010 – Literature review on social inclusion and its relationship to minimum wages and workforce participation. Also in PDF format
• 3/2010 – Social research – Phase one. Also in PDF format
• 4/2010 – Earnings of employees who are reliant on minimum rates of pay. Also in PDF format
• 5/2010 – Employees with disability: Open employment and the Supported Wage System. Also in PDF format
• 6/2010 – Minimum wage transitional instruments under the Fair Work Act 2009 and the Fair Work (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Act 2009

2009 Wage-Setting Review

• A multidimensional approach to investigation of living Standards of the low-paid: income, wealth, financial stress and consumption (PDF)
• Accommodation, cafes and restaurants industry profile (PDF)
• Australian Disability Enterprises:
  • Sector profile (PDF)
  • Sector profile, Appendix A & Appendix B (PDF)
  • Fact sheet (PDF)
  • Addendum (PDF)
• Changes in the Australian labour market over the economic cycle (PDF)
• Gender pay differentials in low-paid employment (PDF) 
• Health and community services industry profile (PDF)
• Labour mobility and low-paid workers (PDF)
• Manufacturing industry profile (PDF)
• Modelling of the macroeconomic impact of the Fair Pay Commission's minimum wage decisions (PDF)
• Report on public consultations for the Australian Fair Pay Commission's 2009 minimum wage review (PDF)
• Retail trade industry profile (PDF)
• Young People with poor labour force attachment: a survey of concepts, data and previous research (PDF)

2008 Wage-Setting Review

• 2008 Minimum Wage Research Forum Proceedings Volume 1 (PDF) & Volume 2 (PDF)
• Employer Responses to Minimum Wage Adjustments (PDF)
• Report on the Australian Fair Pay Commission's 2008 Stakeholder Research (PDF)
• Report on Public Consultations for the Australian Fair Pay Commission's 2008 Minimum Wage Review (TNS Social Research) (PDF)
• The Economic and Social Circumstances of Australian Young People Aged 15–20 Years (CLMR) (PDF)

2007 Wage-Setting Review

• A Strategy for Monitoring the Micro-Economic and Social Impacts of the Australian Fair Pay Commission (NILS) (PDF)
• Characteristics of minimum wage employees - revised May 2007 (Melbourne Institute) (PDF)
• Monitoring Strategy for Wage-Setting Decisions (Access Economics) (PDF)
• Report on Targeted Focus Group Public Consultations for the Australian Fair Pay Commission's 2007 Minimum Wage Review (TNS Social Research) (PDF)

2006 Wage-Setting Review

• An updated profile of the minimum wage workforce in Australia (NILS) (PDF)
• Characteristics of employers of the low paid (ACREW) (PDF)
• Interactions between wages and the tax transfer system (NATSEM) (PDF)
• Minimum wages and employment (CLMR) (PDF)
• What are the characteristics of the employers of the low paid in Australia (Melbourne Institute) (PDF)
• Work decisions and the tax transfer system (Colmar Brunton) (PDF)