I was recently looking at some headlines about wage tightening and labor shortages, and suddenly wondered what wage stagnation had to do with economic growth.
I think this is probably a subtle message if you watch certain news programs: that higher wages hurt the economy. Mainstream media is all biased in one direction or another. Remember all the complaining when workers refused to go back to work?
We’ve seen a lot of whining and complaining from Wall Street about their cheap access to money coming to an end, but some analysts are saying that a tight labor market will be the saving grace for the economy in 2023.
Pay increases for workers can have both positive and negative effects on the economy. On the one hand, pay increases can lead to higher consumer spending, as workers have more disposable income to spend on goods and services. This can stimulate economic growth and create jobs.
On the other hand, pay increases can also lead to higher business costs, as companies may need to raise prices in order to offset the higher labor costs. Higher prices can lead to inflation, which can erode the purchasing power of money and decrease the standard of living for people in the economy.
In addition, if pay increases are not matched by increased productivity, they can lead to lower profits for businesses and potentially harm their competitiveness.
Overall, the effects of pay increases on the economy depend on the specific circumstances and the broader economic context. In a strong economy with low unemployment and high productivity, pay increases may be more sustainable and have a positive impact on the economy.
In a weaker economy with high unemployment and low productivity, pay increases may be more challenging and could have negative effects on the economy.
Are you ready to fire your boss and start your real estate investment business? Check out real estate mentor Brian Gormley’s real estate masterclass to get started today!
