The annual minimum wage increase

THE ANNUAL PAY RISE FOR MINIMUM WAGE EARNERS

THE NEW NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE

* $656.90 a week

* Up $16 a week

* Up 2.5 per cent versus 3 per cent rise last year

* $17.29 an hour (up 42 cents)

* Applies from July 1

WHO GETS IT?

* 1.86 million paid national minimum wage or an award minimum wage

* Federal government says relatively few - 157,100 employees - are paid minimum wage and most award classification workers are not low-paid

WHAT INTEREST GROUPS SAY:

* ACTU

Wanted $27 a week increase

Extremely disappointing; says widens gap between average wage earners and minimum wage earners

* ACCI

Wanted no more than $5.70 a week increase

Very disappointing, says can't afford increases of this magnitude

* AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP

Wanted $10.25 a week increase

Says it will hurt small business and job seekers, increase strain on many struggling businesses

* AUSTRALIAN RETAILERS ASSOCIATION

Wanted no more than $5.70 a week increase

Says it's a reasonable compromise but unmanageable and concerned about industry jobs.