The situation in which wages do not adjust downward in the short-run is known as

The situation in which wages do not adjust downward in the short-run is known as wage stickiness or nominal wage rigidity. This economic phenomenon occurs when workers' earnings don't adjust to the changes in the price level of an economy.

Here are the steps to understand this concept:

1. In a perfectly competitive labor market, wages should adjust to balance the supply and demand for labor. This means that if there are more workers than jobs (surplus of labor), wages should decrease to encourage employers to hire more workers. Conversely, if there are more jobs than workers (shortage of labor), wages should increase to attract more workers.

2. However, in reality, wages often do not adjust quickly due to various reasons such as contracts, minimum wage laws, and workers' resistance to wage cuts. This is known as wage stickiness or nominal wage rigidity.

3. Wage stickiness can lead to unemployment in the short run. If the economy is in a recession and the demand for labor decreases, wages should theoretically decrease to balance the labor market. However, due to wage stickiness, wages do not decrease, leading to a surplus of labor, or unemployment.

4. On the other hand, wage stickiness can also prevent inflation in the short run. If the economy is booming and the demand for labor increases, wages should theoretically increase. However, due to wage stickiness, wages do not increase quickly, preventing a rapid increase in the price level, or inflation.

5. In the long run, however, wages are flexible and can adjust to balance the labor market. This is why wage stickiness is a short-run phenomenon.