mobility

mobility

the degree to which a FACTOR OF PRODUCTION is willing or able to move between different locations or uses. Of the three factors of production, i.e. NATURAL RESOURCES (land), LABOUR and CAPITAL, land is geographically immobile, but not necessarily the uses to which it can be put, for example, industry or agriculture. Labour is both geographically and occupationally mobile but is not necessarily willing to move to another location or retrain for another occupation. Capital (in the form of plant and machinery) is frequently relatively immobile because it is difficult to find new uses for specialized plant, and often difficult to change location because of the size and nature of such plant (e.g. electricity-generating machinery). See RESOURCE ALLOCATION, SUPPLY-SIDE ECONOMICS.