labor-intensive

American  

[ley-ber-in-ten-siv] / ˈleɪ bər ɪnˈtɛn sɪv /

adjective

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

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labor-intensive Cultural  

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.

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Etymology

Origin of labor-intensive

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

labor-intensive

Benefits navigation, career coaching and case management have historically been labor-intensive.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

Even with drugs like ivermectin, treating the parasite can be a labor-intensive process.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 10, 2026

However, some commissioners and residents remain skeptical, saying the benefits are uneven, and data centers create few permanent jobs after their labor-intensive construction is finished.

From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2026

Although more labor-intensive than short-read sequencing, the technique provides a clearer picture of allele differences and distant methylation sites.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 1, 2026

Half of its farmland is devoted to labor-intensive, high-yield, irrigated rice agriculture, facilitated by abundant rivers flowing from the wet mountains onto sloping lowland plains.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond