July  Jan. 20  Jul. July  2 CY 06 08 10 12 14 16 18 20  Jan. 21  -8 06/Q1  10/Q1  14/Q1  18/Q1  Note: In the right-hand chart, Q1 = March-May, Q2 = June-August, Q3 = September-November, Q4 = December-February. Employee income = Total cash earnings ("Monthly Labour Survey") × Number of employees ("Labour Force Survey").
The expansion of the branch network also reflects greater competitive pressures within the banking market, with banks aiming to attract new customers by expanding into areas where they did not previously have a presence.