real wages

[ree-uhl, reel]

plural noun

Economics.

1. wages estimated not in money but in purchasing power.

real wages

plural noun

1. economics wages evaluated with reference to their purchasing power rather than to the money actually paid Compare money wages

real wages

1. Wages adjusted for the prevailing level of consumer prices. (See also constant dollars.)

Word History and Origins

Origin of real wages¹

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

“Without counter tariffs, with a relatively stable exchange rate and a large and growing negative output gap pushing down real wages, it will be difficult for the Bank of Canada to find persistent inflationary sources ahead.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Japan is expected to rebound from near-stagnation, with growth rising from 0.1 percent in 2024 to 1.1 percent in 2025, supported by stronger real wages and consumer spending.

Read more on Barron's

They have each advanced a neoliberal gangster capitalist regime that has seen the financialization of almost every aspect of American life; a decline in intergenerational mobility and real wages; and a regime of globalization.

Read more on Salon

"We're going to get to a place where America makes stuff again, real wages are going to be up, profits are going to be up".

Read more on BBC

Real wages have been growing for a year-and-a-half running.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• net income