--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Although labor income is by far the…" description: "\"Although labor income is by far the largest component of gross national product, a job is not just a commodity. For many, work is an important reason f..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/894/dale-t-mortensen-36863_allocation_although-labor-income-is-by-far-the-larg_887410.jpg" --- # Although labor income is by far the largest component of… ![“Although labor income is by far the largest component of gross national product, a job is not just a commodity. For many, work is an important reason for living. Even for those who are less fortunate in their allocation of work, being unemployed is a miserable state.” quote by Dale T. Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/894/dale-t-mortensen-36863_allocation_although-labor-income-is-by-far-the-larg_887410.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/894/dale-t-mortensen-36863_allocation_although-labor-income-is-by-far-the-larg_887410.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/894/dale-t-mortensen-36863_allocation_although-labor-income-is-by-far-the-larg_887410.jpg) > “Although labor income is by far the largest component of gross national product, a job is not just a commodity. For many, work is an important reason for living. Even for those who are less fortunate in their allocation of work, being unemployed is a miserable state.” [Dale T. Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-t-mortensen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Work provides meaning beyond income; unemployment can cause deep distress. **In simple terms:** Jobs give purpose, not just pay. Key Takeaway Seek purpose, not just paycheck. Themes meaning purpose unemployment wellbeing Mood reflective somber Type analytical motivational When to use this quote - career planning - mental health support - social policy - job counseling Key Concepts economics psychology social identity Questions to Reflect On - How can societies give dignity to those without work? - What non‑financial aspects of work matter most? A Different Perspective Not all work is fulfilling; systemic barriers limit opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Allocation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/allocation/) [Although](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/although/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Commodity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commodity/) [Commodity Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commodity-work-1112285/) [Component](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/component/) [Even](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/even/) [Far](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/far/) [Fortunate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fortunate/) [Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gross/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Income](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/income/) [Job](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/job/) [Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just/) [Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/) [Labor Income](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor-income-1112283/) [Largest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/largest/) [Less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/less/) [Less fortunate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/less-fortunate/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/living/) [Many](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/many/) [Miserable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/miserable/) [National](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/national/) [Product](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/product/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [State](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/state/) [Those](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/those/) [Unemployed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unemployed/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [Work Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-important/) [Work Unemployed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work-unemployed-1112284/) ## Related quotes > [Emphasis was usually put on the horizontal acceleration factor, for the simple reason that ordinary structures have a built-in safety factor for the vertical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-francis-richter/emphasis-was-usually-put-on-the-horizontal-acceleration-factor-for/) [Charles Francis Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-francis-richter/) > [Steve Jobs was the greatest manufacturer of consumer products of his age. 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What we do know is that the evidence we have that sexual orientation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-dreger/we-don-t-really-know-where-human-sexual-orientations-come-from-yet/) [Alice Dreger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-dreger/) > [The most underrated component of your whole you is your Soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-a/the-most-underrated-component-of-your-whole-you-is-your-soul/) [Carlos A](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-a/) > [Security is a component of everyday life that one spending time in Washington, D.C., gets accustomed to. 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From its origins on the streets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-t-mortensen/over-the-years-the-technology-of-trade-has-changed-in-response-to/) [Dale T. Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-t-mortensen/) > [Economics is a strange science. Our subject deals with some of the most important as well as mundane issues that impinge on the human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-t-mortensen/economics-is-a-strange-science-our-subject-deals-with-some-of-the/) [Dale T. Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-t-mortensen/) > [Every great achievement is but a small peak in the mountain range of contributions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-t-mortensen/every-great-achievement-is-but-a-small-peak-in-the-mountain-range-of/) [Dale T. Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-t-mortensen/) > [My co-winners, Peter Diamond and Christopher Pissarides, and I wish to thank the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Nobel Foundation for this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-t-mortensen/my-co-winners-peter-diamond-and-christopher-pissarides-and-i-wish-to/) [Dale T. Mortensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-t-mortensen/) > [The 1970s was the decade of developments in the new area of information economics. Search theory, which emphasized the need to gather information, was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-t-mortensen/the-1970s-was-the-decade-of-developments-in-the-new-area-of/) [Dale T. 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Mortensen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-t-mortensen/) ## More Allocation quotes > [I think that the first thing is you should have a strategic asset allocation mix that assumes that you don't know what the future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/i-think-that-the-first-thing-is-you-should-have-a-strategic-asset/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [It is a mark of how far we have gone on the road to serfdom that government allocation and rationing of oil is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/it-is-a-mark-of-how-far-we-have-gone-on-the-road-to-serfdom-that/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Accounting consequences do not influence our operating or capital-allocation decisions. When acquisition costs are similar, we much prefer to purchase $2 of earnings that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/accounting-consequences-do-not-influence-our-operating-or-capital/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [Education is the most important thing you can have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/torrey-smith/education-is-the-most-important-thing-you-can-have/) [Torrey Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/torrey-smith/) > [Let me make it clear: The Disbursement Allocation Program is not pork barrel. Of the DAP releases in 2011 and 2012, only nine percent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benigno-aquino-iii/let-me-make-it-clear-the-disbursement-allocation-program-is-not-pork/) [Benigno Aquino III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benigno-aquino-iii/) > [I assume, gladly, that in the allocation to America of remarkable leaders like Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln, the Lord was just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/i-assume-gladly-that-in-the-allocation-to-america-of-remarkable/) [Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) > [Mere allocation of huge sums of money for quality will not bring quality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/mere-allocation-of-huge-sums-of-money-for-quality-will-not-bring/) [W. 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