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

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

Another problem for American chefs is that diners often assume they can re-create a labor-intensive, high-quality chicken dish at home, says Alex Eaton, culinary director of restaurant La Cave in Charleston, S.C.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 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

Much of the labor-intensive visual effects work known as rotoscoping was outsourced to shops in India and other countries with much lower labor costs than in California.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 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