&gt; we have more labor than we need<p>It&#x27;s a common misperception that that there is a fixed quantity of labor demanded, and that if more than that quantity is supplied, the result is unemployment.<p>People are not commodities, and the economy is not a zero-sum game. More people willing to work equals more people willing to consume, so the economy expands.<p>This &quot;lump of labor fallacy[1]&quot; was used when women joined the workforce. The worry was that with only so much work to go around, the additional workers would cause mass unemployment. But we didn&#x27;t get unemployment, we got a larger economy with a higher standard of living.<p>The fallacy is also used to argue against immigration, with the fear that immigrants will &quot;steal jobs&quot;. It doesn&#x27;t work that way. Instead of stealing jobs, immigration expands the economy and most people are better off.<p>[1] <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.economist.com&#x2F;node&#x2F;21547263" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.economist.com&#x2F;node&#x2F;21547263</a>