poverty wages

[ˈpɑvərti ˈweɪdʒɪz]
nounpl: poverty wages
salários de miséria
1. wages or salary so low that they do not provide enough income for a worker to meet basic living expenses and rise above the poverty line
Many full-time workers in the service industry earn poverty wages that force them to rely on government assistance.
Muitos trabalhadores em tempo integral no setor de serviços ganham salários de miséria que os obrigam a depender de assistência governamental.
2. compensation that falls significantly below a living wage, insufficient to cover housing, food, healthcare, and other necessities
Activists argue that the current minimum wage constitutes poverty wages in most urban areas.
Ativistas argumentam que o salário mínimo atual constitui salários de miséria na maioria das áreas urbanas.
The term 'poverty wages' is heavily used in both American and Brazilian labor rights discourse. In the USA, it frequently appears in debates about minimum wage policy and income inequality. In Brazil, it's commonly used by labor unions and social movements discussing worker exploitation and the gap between formal and informal economy wages. The concept is central to discussions about social mobility and economic justice in both countries.
NYC Slang
chump change (when referring to the amount earned); sweatshop wages
Synonyms / Sinônimos
starvation wagessubsistence wagessubstandard wagesinadequate wages
Antonyms / Antônimos
living wagecompetitive wagesfair wagessubstantial income

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
salários de miséria
most common and widely understood term
General Brazilian
salários insuficientes
alternative formal term emphasizing inadequacy
Rio de Janeiro
salários de fome
colloquial variant emphasizing hardship
São Paulo
salários de miséria
standard usage in business and labor contexts
Portugal
salários de miséria
also used, though 'salários inadequados' may be preferred in formal contexts

Related Words

minimum wageliving wageincome inequalityeconomic hardshiplabor exploitation

Related Idioms & Phrases

barely scraping by
living hand to mouth
earning peanuts
working poor
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