The median monthly salaries and wages received by paid employees increased 4.9 percent on an annual basis to RM1,575 in 2014 from RM1,500 in 2013.

The mean monthly salaries and wages increased 8.4 percent to RM2,231 from RM2,052 recorded in the same period previously, according to the findings of a survey carried out by the Statistics Department on salaries and wages.

The ‘Salary and Wages 2014 Survey’ said urban areas registered higher growth of median and mean salaries and wages compared with rural areas for between 2013 and 2014.

“The median monthly salaries and wages of employees in the urban area was RM1,800 in 2014, with the growth of 6.9 percent. While the median of salaries and wages for employees in the rural area rose at the annual rate of 5.6 percent to RM1,100,” it said in a statement.

The mean monthly salaries and wages of employees in both areas increased during the same period, namely 7.7 percent in urban area and 5.7 percent in rural area.

Meanwhile, year-on-year comparison between ethnic group, the median monthly salaries and wages of bumiputera employees increased 7.5 percent to RM1,725 in 2014, Indians experienced an increase of 6.5 percent to RM1,600 from RM1,500.

However, the median monthly salaries and wages for Chinese remained at RM2,000 for the same period.

“In terms of the mean monthly salaries and wages, all ethnics recorded increases that are bumiputera (8.1 percent), Chinese (9.0 percent) and Indians (9.7 percent).

The total number of paid employees in 2014 totalled 9.8 million persons, it added.

- Bernama