direct labournoun [ U ]
ukusUKUS direct labor ACCOUNTING the workers who are directly involved in producing goods or supplying services, or the cost of paying those workers:
Direct labor costs are rising in the manufacturing sector.
Direct labour appears in the accounts as part of the cost of goods sold.
HR people who work in a company or organization and are employed directly by it, rather than being employed by an agency or another company:
The work was carried out by a mixture of direct labour and contract workers.