ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Abstract labour and concrete labour

Abstract labour and concrete labour are two different types of work. Abstract labour is the amount of time you spend on a job, while concrete labour is the type of work you do while you are on the job.

To explain abstract labour and concrete labour more easily, let's look at an example.

Say you are a software engineer. When you are working on a project, you are spending time (abstract labour) in order to produce something (concrete labour) like a computer program. You are paid based on the amount of time you spend (abstract labour) and the type of work you do (concrete labour).

Abstract labour is like keeping track of the time you spend on a job, while concrete labour is the type of work you do. For example, if you spend 8 hours a day programming, then your abstract labour is 8 hours, and your concrete labour is programming.