wages are usually paid by the hour. this is called an hourly wage. wages paid by the day are still common. wage rates may be influenced by market forces (supply and demand), laws, and tradition. market forces are perhaps more dominant in the united states, while tradition, social structure and seniority, perhaps play a greater role in japan. in many countries, laws set a minimum wage that all employers must pay their workers. this means that employers cannot pay workers a lower rate than the minimum wage; however, they can pay them a higher rate. the minimum wage rate is there to protect the working class.