The pay of the employed labour force. Earnings include payment for overtime and bonuses, as well as basic pay. They are distinguished from wage rates, which refer to normal time working only and exclude bonuses. Earnings normally rise faster than wage rates when activity increases, and fall relative to wage rates when activity declines.

See also:

transfer earnings

• consortium
• conspicuous consumption
• constant
• constant elasticity of substitution
• constant of integration
• constant prices
• constant returns
• constrained maximum
• constrained minimum
• constraint
• consultant
• consumer
• consumer behaviour
• consumer borrowing
• consumer choice
• consumer confidence
• consumer credit
• consumer debt
• consumer durables
• consumer expenditure
• consumer goods
• consumerism
• consumer non-durables
• consumer price index
• consumer protection