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May 14, 2022

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economics of labour

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labour market

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labour supply

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UAE labour economics

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wage theory

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workforce economics

The Economics Of Labour Supply Explained

In all competitive markets, the supply of and the demand for workers are among those that determine the equilibrium wage and the equilibrium quantity of labor. Amidst these two factors, there is a typically overlooked aspect: what each person decides to do with their time and opportunity as it is entirely up to them to decide whether or not to work. To illustrate, there are some people who prefer to spend their time for leisure, while others prefer to spend it working. These two both influence the economic cycle — leisure increases the time for the consumption of goods, while work provides the income to purchase them. Consequently, when people engage more in the former, the lesser his or her income would be. On the other hand, when they engage more in the latter, the less their time for leisure is. In turn, they face a trade off between time and income, which then defines the supply of labor.

Think of labor supply as the flip side of the coin for leisure: the more leisure people demand, the less labor they supply. Although leisure is a normal undertaking, engaging more on it will cause a disparity between the availability of income, the demand for goods, and eventually, the labor supply in the market. To understand it further, let us take a look at the economics of labor supply.

What is Labor Supply?

Labor supply is the amount of work measured in hours that workers are willing to render during a given time period. Taking the number of population as given, its quantity depends on two main points according to research: First, the number of people engaged in or seeking paid employment; and second, the number of hours that each of them is willing to supply once they are in the labor force. These two ultimately define the availability of manpower supply at a given economy, which affects the number of employees rendering their services to businesses.

Key Factors Affecting Labor Supply

A change in the outlook of people as to how they want to spend their time, whether for leisure or work, can shift the supply curve of labor. Should they give more value to their time, fewer of the population would work. On the other hand, should they decide to consume more goods and services, there is a greater possibility of an increase in the number of workers as they have to earn income in order to cater their needs.

An increase in the population increases the supply of labor. Consequently, a decrease in the population also decreases the availability of manpower supply. This is grounded on the fact that when there are more people, the likely it is for more to engage in the labor force.

Changes in income affects the demand of people for leisure and work. To illustrate, an increase in income will likely expand their demand for leisure as they can now afford to face the trade off between time and money as they earn more, reducing the supply of labor as a result. On the other hand, a decrease in income would likely increase the demand for work since people would have to earn more in order to consume more goods and services.

To conquer the changes and fluctuations in the availability of labor supply, among the methods that organizations can apply is engagement in manpower solutions. Manpower suppliers provide for a wide network of laborers that allow employers to fill-in their vacancies and have the required number of laborers working in no time. For a fast and flexible transaction, they can reach out to World Star Manpower, an authorized manpower supply company in the UAE, for their labor supply needs.

Sources & further reading

See ILO statistics and the OECD labour data.

Frequently asked questions
01

What is labour supply in economics?

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Labour supply is the total number of hours that workers in an economy are willing to work at a given wage. It is shaped by personal trade-offs between leisure and income and interacts with labour demand to set wages.

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02

How is the equilibrium wage determined?

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The equilibrium wage is set where the supply of workers willing to work at a given wage matches the demand from employers, balancing how much labour is offered with how much businesses are willing to pay.

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03

How does leisure affect labour supply?

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Leisure and work are trade-offs — the more people value leisure, the less labour they offer. As wages rise, some choose to work more, but at very high wages many prefer leisure and reduce their hours.

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04

Why does the economics of labour supply matter for UAE businesses?

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Understanding labour-supply dynamics helps UAE employers set competitive wages, design better benefits, plan workforce needs and partner effectively with manpower supply companies to attract and retain workers.

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