Factors Affecting the Size and Composition of the Workforce | 影响劳动力规模与构成的因素

📚 Factors Affecting the Size and Composition of the Workforce | 影响劳动力规模与构成的因素

The workforce, also known as the labour force, comprises individuals who are either employed or actively seeking employment. It is a crucial determinant of an economy’s productive capacity, and its size and composition are shaped by a complex interplay of demographic, economic, social, and institutional factors. In this revision guide, we examine each of these factors systematically, as required by the CIE A-Level Economics syllabus.

劳动力（workforce），又称劳动人口（labour force），由正在就业或积极寻找工作的个体组成。它是决定经济体生产能力的关键因素，其规模与构成受人口、经济、社会及制度等多重因素相互作用的影响。在本复习指南中，我们将按照 CIE A-Level 经济学大纲的要求，系统性地逐一分析这些因素。

---

1. Population Size and Growth Rate | 人口规模与增长率

The most fundamental determinant of the size of the workforce is the total population of a country, and more specifically, the population of working age (typically 15–64 years old). A larger population generally implies a larger potential labour supply. Population growth, driven by the natural increase (births minus deaths) and net migration, directly affects the number of people entering the labour market over time.

决定劳动力规模的最基本因素是国家的总人口，更具体地说是劳动年龄人口（通常为 15–64 岁）。总体上，人口越多，潜在劳动力供给就越大。人口增长由自然增长（出生人数减死亡人数）和净移民驱动，直接影响着未来进入劳动力市场的人数。

For example, a country with a high birth rate 20–30 years ago will now experience a surge in its working-age population — often referred to as a ‘demographic dividend’. Conversely, a declining population, as seen in Japan, gradually shrinks the labour supply and puts pressure on economic output.

例如，一个在 20–30 年前出生率较高的国家，如今将经历劳动年龄人口激增——这通常被称为”人口红利”。相反，像日本这样人口持续减少的国家，劳动力供给会逐渐萎缩，给经济产出带来压力。

---

2. Age Structure of the Population | 人口年龄结构

The age structure of a population determines what proportion of the population falls within the working-age bracket. A population with a high proportion of dependants — either the young (0–14) or the elderly (65+) — will have a lower potential labour force relative to total population. This is measured by the dependency ratio:

人口的年龄结构决定了总人口中处于劳动年龄段的比重。若人口中受抚养人口（0–14 岁青少年或 65 岁以上老年人）比例较高，则潜在劳动力占总人口的比重就较低。这一比例用抚养比来衡量：

Dependency ratio = (Dependants ÷ Working-age population) × 100

A rising dependency ratio arises from an ageing population (increased life expectancy and falling fertility rates). This reduces the relative size of the workforce, while raising the burden on those who are employed to support the dependants through taxes and social security contributions.

抚养比上升源于人口老龄化（预期寿命延长和生育率下降）。这会降低劳动力在总人口中的相对规模，同时增加就业人口通过税收和社会保障缴款来抚养依赖人口的负担。

---

3. Labour Force Participation Rate | 劳动力参与率

The labour force participation rate (LFPR) is the percentage of the working-age population that is either employed or actively looking for work. It is not identical to the employment rate, since it includes the unemployed who are seeking jobs. Several sub-factors influence the LFPR, including gender roles, schooling enrolment rates, and cultural norms.

劳动力参与率（LFPR）是指在劳动年龄人口中已就业或积极寻找工作的人口百分比。它不等于就业率，因为它包含了正在求职的失业者。许多子因素会影响劳动力参与率，包括性别角色、学校入学率以及文化规范等。

For instance, if a country has a low female labour force participation rate due to cultural or institutional barriers, the overall workforce size will be smaller than its demographic potential. Similarly, if a high proportion of young people remain in full-time education, they postpone their entry into the labour market, temporarily lowering the LFPR for the 15–24 age cohort.

例如，如果某个国家因文化或制度障碍，女性劳动力参与率较低，那么其劳动力总体规模将低于其人口潜力。同样，如果大部分年轻人接受全日制教育而延迟进入劳动力市场，15–24 岁年龄段的劳动力参与率就会暂时降低。

• Gender participation: Increasing female participation expands the workforce significantly.

• 性别参与：女性参与率的提高将显著扩大劳动力规模。

• Education enrolment: Higher enrolment delays labour market entry and reduces youth LFPR.

• 教育入学率：入学率越高，年轻人进入劳动力市场越晚，青年 LFPR 越低。

• Retirement behaviour: Later retirement raises the participation of older workers.

• 退休行为：延迟退休可提高老年工人的参与率。

---

4. Migration | 移民

Migration directly alters both the size and the composition of the workforce. International migration consists of immigration (inflow) and emigration (outflow). Net immigration increases the labour supply, and because migrants are often young adults of working age, it also improves the age structure of the host country’s labour force.

移民直接改变劳动力的规模和构成。国际移民包括迁入（移民入境）和迁出（移民出境）。净迁入会增加劳动力供给，而且由于移民往往是处于劳动年龄的年轻人，它还能改善东道国劳动力的年龄结构。

However, migration can also change the composition in terms of skills. A ‘brain drain’ — the emigration of highly qualified professionals — reduces the quality of the domestic workforce, while an influx of low-skilled workers may fill shortages in labour-intensive sectors but lower the average human capital level. Government immigration policies therefore play a vital role in shaping workforce composition.

然而，移民也会改变劳动力的技能构成。”人才流失”——即高技能专业人才的迁出——降低了国内劳动力的质量，而低技能工人的大量涌入虽可填补劳动密集型行业的短缺，却会拉低平均人力资本水平。因此，政府移民政策对劳动力构成的塑造至关重要。

---

5. Education and Training | 教育与培训

Education and vocational training affect not the numerical size but the human capital composition of the workforce. A well-educated workforce is more productive, adaptable, and capable of working in high-value-added industries. The quality and quantity of schooling determine the skill mix available to employers.

教育和职业培训影响的不是劳动力的数量规模，而是其人力资本构成。受过良好教育的劳动力更具生产力、适应力更强，并能够胜任高附加值行业的工作。学校教育的质量与数量决定了雇主可获得的技能组合。

At the A-Level, candidates should distinguish between general education (which builds transferable cognitive skills) and specific vocational training (which builds occupation-specific skills). Governments that expand tertiary education and apprenticeships can shift the composition of the workforce towards more skilled occupations, thereby raising long-run productive potential.

在 A-Level 考试中，考生应区分普通教育（培养可转移的认知技能）与特定职业培训（培养特定职业的技能）。扩大高等教育和学徒制的政府能够推动劳动力构成向更高技能的职业转变，从而提高长期生产潜力。

---

6. Retirement Age and Pension Systems | 退休年龄与养老金制度

The statutory retirement age and the design of pension systems are critical institutional factors affecting both the size and age composition of the workforce. If the retirement age is raised, older workers remain in the labour force longer, expanding the supply of labour and reducing the dependency burden.

法定退休年龄和养老金制度的设计是影响劳动力规模及年龄构成的关键制度因素。如果提高退休年龄，老年工人将在劳动力队伍中停留更长时间，从而扩大劳动力供给并减轻抚养负担。

Conversely, generous pension provisions may encourage early retirement, shrinking the workforce. Many countries — including the UK and Germany — have gradually raised retirement ages in response to ageing populations, precisely to sustain the size of the workforce and relieve pressure on public finances.

相反，优厚的养老金待遇可能鼓励提前退休，从而缩减劳动力规模。许多国家——包括英国和德国——为应对人口老龄化，已逐步提高退休年龄，目的正是为了维持劳动力规模并减轻公共财政压力。

---

7. Social and Cultural Factors | 社会与文化因素

Social norms and cultural attitudes significantly influence workforce composition. In many societies, traditional gender roles have historically restricted female labour force participation; as norms evolve, more women enter paid employment, expanding the workforce. Religious and cultural considerations may also affect which sectors individuals are willing to work in, and whether they work full-time or part-time.

社会规范和文化态度会显著影响劳动力构成。在许多社会中，传统性别角色历来限制了女性的劳动力参与；随着规范的变化，更多女性进入有薪就业领域，从而扩大了劳动力规模。宗教和文化因素也可能影响个人愿意在哪些行业工作，以及他们是从事全职还是兼职工作。

Attitudes towards work itself — such as the value placed on leisure versus career advancement — can influence willingness to relocate, take overtime, or pursue demanding professions. CIE candidates should recognise that these factors are often slow-moving and difficult for policy to alter in the short run.

对工作本身的态度——例如对闲暇与职业发展的价值判断——会影响个人是否愿意迁移、加班或从事高要求的职业。CIE 考生应认识到，这些因素通常变化缓慢，短期内政策难以改变。

---

8. Government Policies | 政府政策

Government policies directly and indirectly shape the workforce. Policies such as subsidised childcare, parental leave, flexible working regulations, and equal opportunity legislation encourage higher participation, particularly among women and carers. Tax and benefit systems may also create incentives or disincentives to work — the so-called ‘poverty trap’ occurs where withdrawing benefits and paying higher taxes make additional work financially unattractive.

政府政策直接或间接地塑造劳动力。诸如育儿补贴、育儿假、弹性工作制度和机会平等立法等政策有助于提高参与率，尤其是女性和照护者群体。税收和福利制度也可能对工作产生激励或抑制——所谓”贫困陷阱”即指当福利减少和税负增加使额外工作在经济上得不偿失时出现的现象。

On the supply side, immigration controls determine how many foreign workers may enter; education and training budgets affect skill levels; and health policy influences the health-related capacity to work. These policies can be adjusted in the short to medium term, making them the most amenable levers for governments seeking to expand or restructure the workforce.

在供给方面，移民管制决定了可入境的外国工人数量；教育和培训预算影响技能水平；卫生政策则影响与健康相关的工作能力。这些政策可以在短期至中期内进行调整，使其成为政府寻求扩大劳动力或调整其结构时最易于使用的政策杠杆。

---

9. Economic Conditions and Business Cycle | 经济状况与商业周期

The state of the economy exerts a powerful influence on the actual size of the workforce. During a boom, rising wages and plentiful job opportunities encourage people to enter or re-enter the labour market, raising both participation and employment. During a recession, some workers become discouraged — they stop actively seeking work — and are therefore counted neither as employed nor as unemployed; the measured labour force shrinks.

经济状况对劳动力的实际规模有着强大影响。在经济繁荣期，工资上涨和大量就业机会鼓励人们进入或重新进入劳动力市场，从而提高了参与率和就业率。在经济衰退期，一些工人因求职无望而变得”沮丧”——他们停止积极寻找工作——因此既不计入就业也不计入失业；由此衡量的劳动力规模便会缩小。

This phenomenon is known as the discouraged worker effect. The composition of the workforce also changes over the cycle: temporary and part-time employment tends to rise during uncertain times, while permanent full-time positions are more common in upswings. Economic conditions therefore cause cyclical, as opposed to structural, fluctuations in labour supply.

这一现象被称为”沮丧工人效应”。劳动力的构成也会随经济周期而变化：在不确定时期，临时和兼职就业趋于增加，而经济上升期则更多出现长期全职岗位。因此，经济状况导致的是劳动力供给的周期性波动，而非结构性变化。

---

10. Health and Disability | 健康与残疾状况

The health status of the working-age population affects both the size and quality of the workforce. Poor health — whether due to chronic disease, disability, or mental health conditions — reduces the capacity to work, lowers participation rates, and diminishes productivity. In economies with high rates of infectious disease or malnutrition, the workforce is smaller and less productive than it would otherwise be.

劳动年龄人口的健康状况影响劳动力规模与质量。健康不佳——无论是慢性病、残疾还是心理健康问题——都会降低工作能力、降低参与率并削弱生产力。在传染病或营养不良高发的经济体中，劳动力规模较小、生产力较低，无法达到其应有水平。

Improvements in healthcare, public health interventions, and occupational safety reduce illness-related absence from work and enable longer working lives. Conversely, rising rates of chronic conditions such as obesity or diabetes can gradually erode the effective workforce, even if headline population figures appear healthy.

医疗保健的改善、公共卫生干预和职业安全措施可以减少因病缺勤，并延长工作年限。相反，肥胖或糖尿病等慢性病发病率的上升会逐渐侵蚀实际有效劳动力，即便总人口数字表面上仍然健康。

---

In summary, the size and composition of the workforce are determined by demographic factors (population size, age structure, migration), participation decisions (gender roles, education, retirement), institutional frameworks (pensions, government policies, immigration rules), and broader economic and health conditions. For examination purposes, be prepared to distinguish between factors that affect the quantity of labour and those that affect its quality or composition, and to evaluate which policies are most effective in addressing a given labour shortage or surplus.

总而言之，劳动力的规模与构成由人口因素（人口规模、年龄结构、移民）、参与决策（性别角色、教育、退休）、制度框架（养老金、政府政策、移民规定）以及更广泛的经济与健康状况共同决定。就考试而言，请准备好区分影响劳动力”数量”的因素与影响其”质量”或构成的因素，并评估哪些政策对于解决特定的劳动力短缺或过剩最为有效。

Published by TutorHao | Economics Revision Series | aleveler.com

更多咨询请联系16621398022（同微信）