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According to any dictionary, the word labour refers specifically to practical work. Question is, then: does the compound labour market include practical work only, or does it include all kinds of job? If it includes practical work only, is there a more general word than labour market, that includes all kinds of work?

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    While the word 'labour' ('labor' in the USA) can mean heavy manual work, the term 'labour market' in economics (otherwise 'job market') refers to the supply of, and demand for, all types of paid employment, as any easily available economics reference or dictionary will show.
    – Michael Harvey
    Commented Nov 14, 2021 at 21:06
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    The comment above should really be an answer
    – David Siegel
    Commented Nov 15, 2021 at 1:10

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While the word 'labour' ('labor' in the USA) can mean heavy manual work, the term 'labour market' in economics (otherwise 'job market') refers to the supply of, and often the demand for, all types of paid employment, as any easily available economics reference or dictionary will show. –

What Is the Labor Market?
The labor market, also known as the job market, refers to the supply of and demand for labor, in which employees provide the supply and employers provide the demand. It is a major component of any economy and is intricately linked to markets for capital, goods, and services.

Labor/Labour market definition (Investopedia)

labour market
noun [ C ] UK (US labor market)

the supply of people in a particular country or area who are able and willing to work

Labour market (Cambridge Dictionary)

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  • Thank you! Thing is, from these definitions (and from the definitions in other dictionaries I have checked) it's not immediately clear to me that it includes all kinds of work – that's why I posted my question :) In your first quote, for instance, the reference to "supply of and demand for labor" makes me unsure. That is, I'm not unsure any longer – I trust you completely! – but I was unsure before you posted your answer :)
    – Helen
    Commented Nov 15, 2021 at 16:14
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    It means all paid employment, from company CEO to the people who clean toilets.
    – Michael Harvey
    Commented Nov 15, 2021 at 16:20

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