labor-intensive

adjective

la·​bor-in·​ten·​sive ˈlā-bər-in-ˌten(t)-siv 

: having high labor costs per unit of output

especially : requiring greater expenditure on labor than in capital

Examples of labor-intensive in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The use of collaborative robots and AI inspection systems also reflects a broader push to automate labor-intensive manufacturing tasks. — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026

The labor-intensive theater industry is a job-creating machine with tens of thousands employed around the country each day. — Roche Schulfer, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026

On some Subaru engines, accessing the upper oil pan section can be considerably more labor-intensive than replacing the lower pan gasket. — John Paul Senior Manager Public Affairs and Traffic Safety Aaa Northeast, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026

However, a bill introduced yesterday could move the age earlier for workers in labor-intensive jobs. — Alex Harring, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for labor-intensive

• counteroffensive
• antihypertensive
• apprehensive
• coextensive
• comprehensive
• hypertensive
• hypotensive
• inexpensive
• inoffensive
• normotensive
• defensive
• expensive