Median weekly earnings from wages and salaries in New Zealand rose 7.1% to NZD 1,273 (USD 773.20) year over year in the quarter ended in June, Statistics New Zealand reported Tuesday. It was the second-largest annual increase since 1998.

“Median weekly earnings continued to grow strongly over the year, especially for women, whose earnings rose 8.1% annually, following record growth the previous year,” Labour Market Manager Malak Shafik said in a press release.

There was also a large increase in median hourly earnings from wages and salaries in New Zealand. They were up 6.6% to NZD 31.61 (USD 19.20). This is the second-largest annual percentage increase in median hourly earnings since 1998.

Median hourly earnings for women were up 7.7% over the year to NZD 30.15 (USD 18.31) — this was the largest annual increase since 1998. Men’s median hourly earnings were up 7.0% to NZD 33.00 (USD 20.04) — the second-largest annual increase since 1998.

Despite the rise in women’s earnings, the gender pay gap is relatively unchanged for the June 2023 quarter at 8.6% based on median hourly earnings, according to Statistics New Zealand.

“Although women saw historically strong growth in median hourly earnings, there was no statistically significant change in the gender pay gap over the year, meaning that it remained relatively unchanged since the June 2022 quarter,” Shafik said.

Median hourly earnings for women in full-time wage and salary jobs were up 8.8% year over year to NZD 32.60 (USD 19.80), while hourly earnings for women working part-time increased 4.2% annually.

Comparatively, men saw roughly equal growth in both full-time and part-time median hourly earnings, up 6.5% and 6.3%, respectively.