means of labor
Technical term in economics and Marxist theory, referring to the tools, machinery, and infrastructure used in production.
In Marxian economics, means of labor are considered part of the means of production.
Factory machinery and tools are important means of labor.
生産手段 (means of production) is a broader term that includes both 労働手段 (means of labor) and 労働対象 (objects of labor).
労働対象 (objects of labor) refers to the raw materials or natural resources that labor is applied to, distinct from the tools and equipment (労働手段).
Compound of 労働 (labor) and 手段 (means, method). A calque from the German 'Arbeitsmittel' used in Marxist economic theory.