manpower

Manpower is a term used to describe the number and collective capabilities of people available for work within an organization, community, or country. It encompasses not only headcount but also the skills, experience, and potential of workers. In industrial and military contexts, manpower refers to the total personnel and their readiness to perform tasks. In recent decades the term has drawn criticism for gendered connotations, and many organizations now prefer workforce, human resources, or labor pool.

Manpower planning, or workforce planning, is the process of estimating current and future staffing needs to meet objectives and balance supply and demand. Key steps include forecasting demand for labor based on strategic plans, analyzing the current workforce, identifying gaps, and implementing actions such as recruitment, training, redeployment, or automation.

Manpower is affected by macro factors such as population demographics, education levels, immigration, and economic conditions. In policy contexts, governments measure the labor force and unemployment rates to assess manpower availability and potential bottlenecks.

Historically, units of work such as man-hours quantified output, but modern usage emphasizes capability and productivity and seeks to avoid gender bias. Overall, manpower remains a fundamental concept in workforce management and economic planning, referring to the human capacity that drives tasks and output.