According to standard economic theory, labor is a good like any other, traded on the labor market. Like with all other markets, the price for labor, which is the wage, ensures that supply meets demand. When there is a shortage of labor, the price of labor goes up, and more people offer their labor on the market. When there is an abundance of labor, a decrease in the price of labor prevents unemployment.
Economics recognizes that there is not just one market for labor, and whenever necessary, one considers special labor markets which are usually defined b...