surplus workers
[/ˈsɜr.pləs ˈwɜr.kərz/]
nounpl: surplus workers
trabalhadores excedentes
1. Workers who are in excess of what is needed for current production or economic activity; laborers without sufficient employment opportunities
The factory closure left hundreds of surplus workers seeking new employment.
O fechamento da fábrica deixou centenas de trabalhadores excedentes procurando novo emprego.
2. In Marxist economics, workers whose labor produces value beyond their own subsistence, forming the basis of profit
Marx argued that surplus workers create surplus value for capitalists.
Marx argumentou que os trabalhadores excedentes criam valor excedente para os capitalistas.
3. Labor force members experiencing underemployment or unemployment due to economic restructuring
Automation has created a pool of surplus workers in the manufacturing sector.
A automação criou um conjunto de trabalhadores excedentes no setor de manufatura.
The term 'surplus workers' is primarily used in academic, economic, and political discourse in both Brazil and the USA. In Brazil, it gained prominence during discussions of industrial restructuring in the 1990s-2000s and continues to be relevant in discussions of automation and informal economy. In the USA, the concept is frequently referenced in labor economics and sociology, particularly regarding deindustrialization in the Rust Belt and automation impacts. The term carries implications related to social inequality and labor rights discussions in both countries.
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