Work and income — Economics, 7–10 years
People use time and skills to make goods or provide services. Work can bring income, but not every useful activity is paid.
Time and skills
Work is an activity that uses time and skills to make something or help someone. A person may earn income for this work, such as money for baking bread, fixing bikes or teaching music. Work can also be unpaid, like caring for a baby or helping at home.
Why do people work?
Communities need food, buildings, transport, care and many other things, but no one person can do all of them. People learn different skills and spend time doing particular jobs. Income gives workers a way to obtain other goods and services that they do not make themselves.
A small job
Noah washes three bicycles for neighbours. He agrees on €5 for each bicycle. First, he counts 3 bicycles; then he multiplies 3 × €5 = €15. His income is €15, because that is the payment for his time and effort. The neighbours receive a cleaning service.
Useful is not always paid
A common mistake is to call only paid activities work. That seems reasonable because jobs are often discussed when people talk about wages. Yet cooking for your family, practising an instrument or helping a friend uses time and skills too, even when nobody gives money for it.
Where it appears
When a parent receives a salary, a gardener gets paid, or a shop pays its staff, work and income are connected. At home, many jobs are shared without wages, but they still save time or provide care. Knowing this helps us notice all the effort behind everyday life.
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