real wages

American  

[ree-uhl, reel] / ˈri əl, ril /

plural noun

Economics.

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

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real wages British  

plural noun

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

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real wages Cultural  

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

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Etymology

Origin of real wages

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

A third good labor report in a row, but real wages aren’t growing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

“Real wage growth is slowing, real wages are falling outright in some countries,” said Claus Vistesen, chief eurozone economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

The decrease in real wages is “a big turnaround from the past few years, when wages were growing well above inflation for most workers.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

Consumer spending, two-thirds of US GDP, is pressured by falling real wages; AI enthusiasm also appears shaky.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

From 2001-03 real wages fell and Brazil's economy   grew, on average, only 1.1% per year, as the country absorbed a   series of domestic and international economic shocks.

From The 2004 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency

Related Words

• net income