Primary Labour Market

Definition of Primary Labour Market

The Canada social science dictionary [1] provides the following meaning of Primary Labour Market: All research on labour markets has shown them to be divided or fragmented. The term used today is ‘segmented labour market’ suggesting there are many components to the market. Earlier it was thought the market was divided into a primary labour market and a secondary labour market. This was interesting because men dominated the primary market and women and minorities dominated the secondary market. Primary labour markets tend to offer high salaries or wages, better working conditions, and more job stability. This market tends to be found in those sectors of business that are capital intensive. Labour that is required tends to be more skilled and the high costs of labour can often be covered by the profit generated from an efficient plant. Workers are more apt to be unionized and to be able to make greater wage demands than workers in a secondary labour market. See: SECONDARY LABOUR MARKET in this legal dictionary and in the world encyclopedia of law.

Primary Labour Market: Resources

Notes and References

• Drislane, R., & Parkinson, G. (2016). (Concept of) Primary Labour Market. Online dictionary of the social sciences. Open University of Canada