Median household income surges for low-wage workers

Singapore

MEDIAN resident household income from work jumped 4.9 per cent in real terms last year, higher than the 3.8 per cent average from 2010 to 2015 - courtesy of a tight labour market, a CPF-rate hike and a dip in inflation.

The biggest jumps were made in the lowest 20 per cent of households; the lowest decile posted a 10.7 per cent growth and the second lowest, 8.3 per cent, showing that the ongoing efforts to raise the pay of low-wage workers were working.

The top 10 per cent and the 21st to 30th percentile group scored the next highest rise of 7.2 per cent each. The rest recorded increases of 5.7 to 6.7 per cent, going by the 2015 edition of the Key Household Income Trends report, released on Friday by …