劳动力

• Pinyin: láo dòng lì
• Hanzi breakdown: 劳 = 艹 + 冖 + 力 — labor; 动 = 云 + 力 — move; 力 = power/force

Meaning

Labor force; workforce; workers. The people available to work.

An economics term referring to the working-age population or workforce capacity. Can mean individual workers, the labor market, or abstract labor capacity. Common in discussions of economics and employment.

Examples

1. 这个地区劳动力资源丰富。 This region has abundant labor resources.
2. 随着人口老龄化，劳动力短缺问题日益严重。 With population aging, the labor shortage is becoming increasingly serious.
3. 企业正在寻找廉价劳动力。 Companies are looking for cheap labor.

Usage Guide

Context: economics, employment, policy

Tone: professional

Do Say

• 劳动力市场竞争激烈。(The labor market is highly competitive.)
• 提高劳动力素质是关键。(Improving workforce quality is key.)

Don't Say

• 用劳动力指代具体的某一个工人。(劳动力 is collective/abstract — use 工人 or 员工 for specific workers)

Origin & History

Compound of 劳动 (labor) + 力 (power/force). The power or capacity for labor.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal