Work force. The concept of the labor force and the employed The role of the labor force in the modern economy

Work force - the ability of a person to work, the totality of physical and spiritual forces that a person has and which are used by him in the process of producing material goods. Labor power is the main condition of production in any society. In the process of production, a person not only influences the nature around him, but also develops his production experience, skills for work.

In class-antagonistic societies, workers are deprived of the means of production and subjected to exploitation. The forms of exploitation of labor power depend on the dominance of one or another form of ownership. Under capitalism, labor power is converted into a commodity. Necessary conditions the transformation of labor power into commodities were:

1. personal freedom of a person, the ability to dispose of his workforce;
2. the lack of a worker of the means of production, due to which he is forced to sell his ability to work in order to get a livelihood.

Labor power under capitalism, like any commodity, has value and use value. The use value of the commodity labor power lies in the ability of the worker in the process of labor to create more value than she herself has, that is, to bring surplus value, which is the main interest for the capitalist. Only in this he sees the meaning of the purchase of labor power and its consumption.

The value of labor power is determined by the value of the means of subsistence necessary to maintain a normal labor activity its owners, the maintenance of the worker's family members, as well as the costs necessary to satisfy the cultural needs of the worker - for education, acquisition professional knowledge. The magnitude of the value of labor power changes with the development of society, as the level of needs and the amount of means of subsistence necessary for the worker and his family, as well as the value of these means of subsistence, change.

Due to differences in levels economic development, national characteristics, the historical development of individual countries, as well as natural and climatic conditions, the value of the cost of labor varies significantly in different countries. With the development of production, there is a general tendency towards an increase in the level of needs of the worker and an increase in the cost of labor power (see Law of Rise of Needs).

The price of labor power tends to deviate downward from the cost of labor power, which is primarily due to the presence of an army of unemployed, which puts pressure on the labor market. By lowering wages(See Wages under capitalism) capitalists seek to reduce the material and cultural needs of the workers to a minimum. However, the struggle of the working class is a factor that counteracts this trend, especially in the presence of the world socialist system, when the working people manage to achieve important concessions from the capitalists, including wage increases.

In a socialist society, labor power is not a commodity. By virtue of the dominance of social ownership of the means of production, the working people here are the masters of all wealth. Relations between individual workers and the socialist state, as well as cooperative associations, are formed on the basis of the planned use of labor resources in the interests of all members of society. Socialist relations of production create opportunities for the all-round development of the physical and spiritual strength of the workers, the steady improvement of their cultural and technical level and material well-being.

The totality of physical and spiritual abilities that a person uses in his activities.

Work force(English) labor force) in statistics - the number of people who are ready to work for hire. IN different countries this indicator is calculated in different ways. It usually includes the number of employed plus the registered unemployed. There are age and other restrictions. For example, American statistics take into account people who are at least 16 years old. There are certain methodological issues - for example, to include in this indicator or only employees. In most cases, the "self-employed" population is taken into account as part of another indicator - "economically active population".

Sometimes the labor force is understood as the employees of any enterprise, with the exception of administrative staff.

Work force in popular literature and journalism - workers. More often, manual laborers performing low-skilled work are implied. Usually in such cases no distinction is made between voluntary employment and forced labour. Example: "The purpose of the occupation was the destruction of the USSR as a state and the transformation of the territory into an agricultural appendage and a source of cheap labor for Germany and its allies."

Labor force in the theory of Karl Marx

Karl Marx, in his Capital, stated the following:

• Under the conditions of the capitalist mode of production, labor power becomes a specific commodity. The bearer of the labor force is its owner and is legally free to dispose of it. At the same time, he does not have the means of production for independent management. To obtain a livelihood, he is forced to sell his labor force.

• The cost of labor power is determined by the costs of maintaining the life of a worker and the proper level of working capacity, his sufficient training, education and reproduction. These costs are very dependent on the level of economic development of the country, natural and climatic conditions, intensity and complexity of labor, employment of women and children. The cost of labor is manifested in the form of wages, which are additionally influenced by the situation in the economy and the labor market. In a period of economic growth and increased employment, wages can significantly exceed the cost of labor, which allows workers to significantly improve their financial situation. During a recession, wages can fall below the cost of labor, which leads to the consumption of previously accumulated reserves and to a sharp deterioration in the situation of workers.

• The value (utility) of labor power as a commodity is the possibility in the process of work (the use of the purchased labor power by the capitalist) to create a new value, which is usually more than the value paid to the worker (more than the value of the labor power used). This excess Marx called surplus value. It is she who is the basis of the formation of profit.

• Labor power is not always a commodity. It may not belong to a person and be taken without an equivalent exchange (for example, into a slave or a serf). A person may not be legally free (a prisoner, a child). A person can work independently and then sell the results of labor, and not their own labor (craftsman, artist, farmer, private entrepreneur, if they do not hire workers).

Criticism of the Marxist approach

Some economic theories do not recognize labor power as an independent commodity. They usually claim to sell directly work. Profit formation they explain special properties capital or payment for the rareness of entrepreneurial talent. Indeed, at the initial stage dominated by hourly payment hired workers. Dominance then shifts to piecework. Outwardly, this manifests itself as payment for each hour worked or item made, that is for work. Contract wages (for example, for football players) more clearly demonstrate that it is the ability to work that is being sold, and not the labor itself.

Although labor power is considered a commodity, unlike any other commodity, it has two features: universality - this means that a person capable of work can engage in various activities, that is, his ability to work is universal. He can become a driver, a doctor or an artist, or he can engage in these activities in different time based on their own needs or the needs of society. In market conditions, situations often arise when a person is forced to retrain or acquire new profession more needed at this time. The versatility of the work force helps him in this; the desire of the owners of the labor force for social justice. Man is a rational being, and this greatly affects the product "labor power". A person has feelings of justice, equality, fraternity and humanity, so he will strive to defend them in his work activity. This goal is served by trade unions, which help workers to protect and defend their interests. We also note a number of features commodity "labor power". Unlike other commodities, the commodity "labor power" is inseparable from its immediate carrier - the worker, and after the sale is only at the disposal of the employer. The product "labor" has a high maneuverability, which is characterized by the ability of its seller to move from one employer to another, offering more high price or better working conditions. As a result, there is a migration (movement) of workers between enterprises, industries, regions, countries, which causes a state of constant competition between buyers, i.e. employers. The movement of goods "labor" allows you to create the necessary balance in the market for this product. An important characteristic of the product "labor" is its effectiveness, which depends on factors such as: capital- with significant investments in fixed capital in the form of machinery, mechanisms and equipment, the share of materialized labor grows at constant costs of living labor, which affects the growth of labor productivity; Natural resources- the presence of fertile land, minerals, cheap raw materials and cheap energy sources, as well as a favorable climate have a positive effect on the use of labor; social development technology- application of achievements in the country scientific and technological progress determines the high productivity of labor; labor quality- labor productivity of employees largely depends on the state of health, level of education, attitude to work, moral climate in the team and the stability of society. Among the factors influencing labor productivity, it should also be noted the effectiveness of the applied system of labor motivation, personnel management, the scale of the domestic market, etc.

popular definition

concept strength has several meanings. Derived from Latin fortya, it can be used to emphasize the ability or power to generate movement in something or someone that causes resistance or has weight; describe the ability to withstand push; the use of force, whether physical or moral; the natural virtue that things have in themselves; or the most energetic state anything.

Strength, as we have defined, comes from the Latin word fortia, which is synonymous with the word "strong". Meanwhile, the second word of the term that we are going to analyze, works, has its etymological origin in Latin tripaliare, which came to be used to refer to a three-stick yoke that was used to bind slaves to whom they were going to punish by whipping them.

Job, on the other hand, is a measure of the effort that Human does. From point of view economy work is one of the most important factors of production, and capital And land. Work can be understood as a productive action carried out by the subject and in exchange for which he receives a reward.

Thus, the concept of labor force is associated with physical and mental abilities of each person to develop a specific task. The expression has been put into action Karl Marx .

For Marxism labor force should be understood as product, cash reward which is determined on the basis of the time required for its production. In this case, it is about establishing how long it will take to produce livelihoods. In short, the cost of labor can be related to how much the consumer goods required by the worker cost or cost.

In this sense, it must be emphasized that it has been established that in capitalism all labor power is directly a commodity. However, for this fact to take place, two elements or fundamental aspects must take place: that the person in question is free to exercise said force, and that there is a need to sell him in order to obtain a livelihood,

These questions and the approaches cited led Karl Marx to establish and demonstrate that there is no equality in a capitalist society, because the bourgeoisie is the one that has seized the various means of production, while the workers do not have the opportunity to own them. Consequently, they see themselves in the current situation and in the need to sell the labor they need to achieve vital livelihoods in order to survive.

This is the circumstance that ultimately leads to the enrichment of those who own these means of production, thanks to the labor and efforts of the workers.

It is interesting to note that marxist theory distinguishes between the labor force and the work itself, since the second is the realization of the potential presented by the first. In other words, work is what is the result of the application of labor power.

• barista

  The dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) does not recognize the concept of a barista. The term, however, is often used to refer to a coffee expert. Baristas specializes in developing coffee-based beverages that combine coffee seeds with liquors, milk and other ingredients. This professional can also devote himself to studying and designing these drinks and even decorating espresso with milk in a discipline known as latte art. The barista can distinguish different kinds coffee for making

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• migration

  Migration occurs when social group, whether human or animal, moves from her place of origin to another, where she believes she will improve their quality of life. This implies the creation of a new life in a different social, political and economic environment and, in the case of animals, in a different habitat that

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• carotene

  It is called carotene to a reddish or yellowish pigment that animals can convert into vitamin A. This chemical compound is present in carrots, egg yolk, tomato, butter (butter) and red pepper (pepper, pepper or chili). Carotene, whose most common structure makes it commonly known as beta-carotene, is part of the terpene family. Swiss scientist Paul Karrer, laureate Nobel Prize in chemistry, was the first to

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• call

  A challenge is an invitation to mourn, a provocation or challenge. It can be a threat or intimidation: “If you are so sure of what you are saying, I encourage you to go together to ask Mikaela what she thinks about this situation”, “He looked him straight in the eyes and exclaimed: in a firm voice: “ I challenge him to a duel: whoever loses will leave the city. In another sense, the concept of challenging is used as a synonym for reprimand or reprimand. Parents often challenge their children or teachers to their students when they do not behave properly: “The task of the math teacher was heard in the