Determinants of supply of labour


 The highly populated country is the largest supplier of labour, so the major determinant of supply of labour is considered as population.  The important among them are:
(1) The working population (All those people who are able & willing to supply themselves for work.)
(2) Increase in the real wages [Real wage is the quantity of goods and service that the money wage can buy] i.e. wage of an average worker today will buy more goods and services than before. 
(3) Rise in the number of teenagers entering to the working population and fall in the number of people retiring.
(4) Changes in the social attitudes towards wives and mothers working.  (Increase in the number of women joining the working population. This will tend to increase proportionally when there is a development in the economy)   
The foundation for the demand for labour is the demand for the product or service they produce.  Since people demand vast varieties of goods and services there will be demand for wide varieties of labour that is different occupations.  Very low wages (salaries) being paid for some jobs while others are much higher wages (salaries). When the labour market forces fails to remove the imperfection, the government involve through the introduction of a minimum wage.
As an economy undergoes the process of development there will be changes in the pattern of demand.  These changes will reflect in the demand for goods and services.  These changes in economic sectors will in turn the change the proportion of people who are working in the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors.  These changes of demand for labour will have its reflection in the pattern of their earnings.
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