Theory question 105
Labour Market(a) Explain the following concepts: (i) labour force; (ii) over population; (iii) mobility of labour; (iv) optimum population.
(b) Outline four factors responsible for the rapid growth in the population of a country.
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(a)(i) Labour force: people of working age who are employed or actively looking for work.
(ii) Over-population: population too large for the available resources and technology, so output per head is below its maximum.
(iii) Mobility of labour: the ease with which workers move from one place (geographical) or one job (occupational) to another.
(iv) Optimum population: the population size which, with the available resources and technology, gives the highest output per head.
(b) Any four: high birth rate; falling death rate due to better health care; early marriage; polygamy; desire for large families (culture, religion, old-age security); ignorance of family planning; immigration; improved nutrition.
Over-population and optimum population are both judged by output per head.