It could be because the ABS' Wage Price Index (WPI) report only confirmed what you, I and Irene already knew all along, that wages growth had been slowing - up 2.6% in the December quarter (the slowest gain since 1997) - or have gone backwards when you factor in inflation of 2.7%. https://www.financialstandard.com.au/feed/latest?story=38063990 en-AU Copyright 2026 Financial Standard 5