wage stagnation

IELTS use

Helps argue about economic fairness, labour market problems, and policy responses in Task 2 essays and Speaking Part 3 discussions, and to describe trends in Task 1.

Examples

1. Sustained wage stagnation has made it harder for young people to afford housing.
2. The graph shows wage stagnation over the past decade despite steady economic growth.
3. Critics argue that wage stagnation is a key driver of rising inequality.
4. Many employees have experienced wage stagnation, even as company profits have increased.

Collocations

prolonged wage stagnation

Prolonged wage stagnation has led to widespread public dissatisfaction.

wage stagnation and inequality

The report links wage stagnation and inequality in developed economies.

address wage stagnation

Governments need policies that address wage stagnation rather than ignore it.

amid wage stagnation

Workers are demanding higher pay amid wage stagnation.

experience wage stagnation

Many middle-income families have experienced wage stagnation since 2008.

Word family

Noun

wage stagnation

Verb

stagnate

Adjective

stagnant

Paraphrases

• flat wage growth: Useful when describing a lack of increase in earnings.
• stagnant pay: A shorter alternative common in spoken English.
• low pay growth: Highlights the slow pace of salary increases.

Common mistakes

• wage stagnation is caused from... to wage stagnation is caused by.... Use 'caused by' to introduce the cause.
• The wages have stagnated since many years. to Wages have stagnated for many years.. Use 'for' with a duration, not 'since' with a duration; 'since' is used with a point in time.
• Wage stagnation are a serious issue. to Wage stagnation is a serious issue.. The subject 'stagnation' is singular, so the verb must be singular.
• Many workers suffered wage stagnation, their incomes did not rise. to Many workers suffered wage stagnation because their incomes did not rise.. Use a conjunction such as 'because' to connect clauses properly.