ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Labour market

The labour market is like a big playground where grown-ups go to find jobs and companies go to find workers.

The people looking for jobs are called job seekers or employees, and the companies looking for workers are called employers.

Just like on a playground, some kids are good at playing tag and some are good at playing hide-and-seek. In the labour market, people have different skills and abilities that make them better suited for certain jobs.

For example, a teacher might be really good at explaining things and helping students learn, so they would be better suited for a job as a teacher than as a mechanic. Similarly, a mechanic might be really good at fixing things and working with their hands, so they would be better suited for a job as a mechanic than as a teacher.

In the labour market, employers look for employees who have the skills and abilities they need to do the job well. They might advertise the job in different places, like online or in the newspaper, and then interview different job seekers to see if they have the right skills for the job.

Once an employer finds the right employee for the job, they offer them a job and they become co-workers.

Just like on a playground, sometimes there are a lot of kids playing tag and not enough kids playing hide-and-seek. In the labour market, sometimes there are a lot of job seekers and not enough jobs, or vice versa. When there are more job seekers than jobs, it can be harder for people to find work. When there are more jobs than job seekers, it can be easier for people to find work.

That's the labour market in a nutshell!