piece rate
1
4.8
- noun
- Specialized
:
pago por pieza
- These are piece rates, workers are paid per unit of output.
- paid piece rate
- workers are paid piece rates
- piece-rate system
Examples
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The piece rate encourages workers to increase their productivity, as they get paid more the faster they work.
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Unlike time-rated work, such as daily casual work, piece-rate work links the wage per day to individual productivity, and group work links the amount one can earn per day to group productivity.
Academic text (2004) -
Most of our work is piece rate, but based on competitive rates for similar jobs in the community.
Blog text (33) -
But piece rates cause long delays in the payment of wages, as an assessment of the quantity and quality of work done takes time.
Academic text (1998) -
Given the piece-rate system, there is a premium on physical strength and dexterity.
Academic text (1998) -
The piece rate for tomato picking in Florida is 45-50 cents per bucket, meaning that workers must fill 13 buckets per hour just to make the minimum wage.
Academic text (2004) -
In turn, contractors will estimate the number of crews and workers required for the work; the piece rate to be paid for the crop harvested; the hourly rate for workers and supervisors; and the length of time the harvest is expected to take.
Blog text (4) -
Under the piece rate system, workers earn a specific amount for each product they complete.
-
At the factory, employees are motivated by the piece rate, which rewards them for the number of items they produce.
Synonyms
3
5.2
Work paid for each item a person makes
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning (payment per unit produced) is directly derivable from 'piece' (a unit or portion) + 'rate' (a price or charge per unit), following the common noun-noun compounding pattern for pricing. This compositional logic is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words would very likely infer the correct meaning.
Etymology
The phrase piece rate comes from the simple idea of paying a worker for each piece they make; a set rate is paid for every finished item, so pay depends on how much you produce. That's why it means 'a payment for each unit produced'.