Abstract
The paper suggests a channel through which past expectations affect current wage aspirations, leading to real wage rigidity. Expectations have a long run impact on the composition of consumption, because they determine the purchase of durables. Due to adjustment costs, moderate changes in income are absorbed by non-durable consumption only. We show that when labour demand is unexpectedly low, workers are risk seeking; they prefer a risk of becoming unemployed to a substantial reduction of the real wage. Conversely, they show moderation when labour demand is unexpectedly high.