In the U.S. soap opera industry, actors billed as recurring status are paid a certain sum for each episode in which they appear.
[3] Almost unheard of from the beginning of television until the 1980s, more and more actors have been placed on "recurring" so the production company in charge of making the show doesn't go over-budget.
Dwindling viewership and economic downturn have led to all U.S. soaps to placing actors (usually veterans who have been with the series in excess of ten years, and who are usually acclimated to higher salary figures) on recurring.
Some actors accept the move to recurring status, while other actors balk at the contract cut, instead finding work on Broadway, prime time television series, or rival soap operas.
On Australian and British soap operas, contract negotiations are different, and a term such as "recurring status" does not exist.