There is a strong link between the wage level of a country and the aggregate demand for goods and services. Even though within some growth models, low wages, including the minimum wage as a reference, can support high wage content exports (those which main component is represented by an intensive labor force to control inflation and promote investment simultaneously), keeping purchasing power reduces aggregate consumption in that economy.Consequently, keeping purchasing power in levels of subsistence for wide layers of the population necessarily generates a negative effect on economic growth and productivity, particularly during periods of recession such as the current one in which a fall in wages can trigger a downwards spiral in the aggregate demand. This article analyzes the implementation of active wage policies and their impact on the economic and social development of a country. It presents two contrasted scenarios: Mexico and Brazil.