Labor Intensive

Describing an industry or sector in which it is difficult to produce a good or service without a large amount of labor. Labor intensive industries require either a large number of employees or a large number of hours worked by employees, or both, in order to be successful. Labor intensity may be quantified by taking a ratio of the cost of labor (i.e. wages and salaries) as a proportion of the total capital cost of producing the good or service. The higher the ratio, the higher the labor intensity. Labor intensive industries may control costs in bad economies by laying off workers. Examples of labor intensive industries include agriculture, mining, and hospitality.