labor-intensive

[ ley-ber-in-ten-siv ]

adjective

1. requiring or using a large supply of labor, relative to capital.

labor-intensive

1. A term describing industries that require a great deal of labor relative to capital ( compare capital-intensive ). Examples of labor-intensive industries are forms of agriculture that cannot make use of machinery and service industries, such as restaurants.

Word History and Origins

Origin of labor-intensive¹

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

Volunteers for Steel and Tran have mounted labor-intensive campaigns to find those voters and get them to turn in their forms.

From Los Angeles Times

Another Yakima Valley claim to fame is superlative Mexican food, thanks to immigrant families who power the labor-intensive business of fruit picking and packing.

From Seattle Times

The search for new, more efficient materials involving complex chemical compositions has been labor-intensive, requiring experimental testing of each proposed new multi-material composition, and has often involved the use of toxic or rare elements.

From Science Daily

Thus, new hybrid seeds need to be produced every year, a labor-intensive and expensive endeavor that doesn't work well for every crop.

From Science Daily

Watte said the overtime bill became a pivotal moment, particularly for farmers who grow labor-intensive asparagus.

From Los Angeles Times