'labor-intensive' originates from the combination of 'labor' and 'intensive', where 'labor' refers to work, especially physical work, and 'intensive' means concentrated or requiring a lot of effort.

'labor-intensive' was formed by combining the words 'labor' and 'intensive' in the 20th century to describe industries or processes that require a large workforce.

Initially, it meant 'requiring a lot of physical work', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.