New wages figures this week are expected to show why some households are struggling to make ends meet.
Wednesday's December quarter wage price index - the Reserve Bank's preferred measure of wages growth - is expected to be yet another sombre affair.
Economists expect wages grew at a modest 0.5 per cent in the final three months of 2017, keeping the annual rate at two per cent and only just above the rate of inflation at 1.9 per cent.
It will also leave the annual rate close to its lowest level in at least 20 years.
Wage growth remains the missing link in an economy that is growing at a reasonable pace and creating the greatest number of jobs on record.
Political parties have renewed their rhetoric on the cost of living and the need for wages growth, but have done little to address the issue so far.
Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe told parliamentarians at a hearing on Friday he would feel "a lot better" if there was a pick up in wages growth.
He expects wage growth to pick up as the labour market strengthens further but emphasised this was likely to gradual.
Westpac economists expect with enterprise bargaining arrangements providing lower wage rises than existing agreements, this will continue to be a drag on the wage price index.
Six-monthly average weekly earnings figures are released on Thursday.
The data tends to be more volatile than the wage price index but does express outcomes in dollar terms for different industries.
As of May, annual average weekly ordinary time earnings were around $80,200.
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