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# Common Labour Wages

## Definition

The standard compensation paid to unskilled or semi-skilled workers performing basic manual tasks, which serves as a benchmark against which wages in other occupations are compared and often adjusted.

## Source Chapter

Book I, Chapter 10

## Context

Smith frequently references common labour wages as a baseline for comparing compensation across different employments. He notes that wages in skilled trades and manufacturing often differ only slightly from common labour wages, with the difference generally sufficient only to compensate for the expense of education and training.

## Economic Domain

Distribution

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