The Black Death in 1347-48 did not immediately raise real wages in England. Instead, wages fell after the plague and only started to recover almost thirty years later. Real wages peaked in 1476-80 and were not surpassed until 1886-90. The common belief that the Black Death led to a 'Golden Age of the English Labourer' is a myth. The rise in real wages was more gradual and not directly caused by the plague, but likely influenced by changes in population and productivity.