laborfocused

Laborfocused is an adjective used to describe approaches, analyses, or design processes that place primary emphasis on labor and its conditions. It denotes prioritizing workers' welfare, rights, and participation in decision-making, alongside or above efficiency or capital considerations.

The term appears in academic and policy discourse in the early 21st century as a neologism formed from labor and focused. It is sometimes used to contrast with technology-centered or capital-centered perspectives.

In policy, laborfocused analyses examine wages, working conditions, safety, job security, and collective bargaining; in product design or service delivery, it means designing with worker input and ergonomics, ensuring feasible workloads, and reducing exploitative practices; in economics, it can guide labor-intensive sectors or supply chain standards.

Critics argue that an exclusive emphasis on labor can overlook other constraints such as capital, markets, or productivity. Proponents argue it improves human well-being and sustainability.

Related terms include labor rights, fair labor standards, human-centered design, worker welfare, and labor economics.