The number of people who are qualified to work and who offer themselves for employment is called____________?

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks for the term describing people who are (a) qualified to work and (b) willing to offer themselves for employment.

Step 2: Explain the concepts

• Migrant labour: workers who move from one place (region or country) to another in search of jobs.
• Working population: also called the labour force. It is the part of the population that is able, qualified and willing to work. It usually covers people within the working age bracket (in Nigeria, roughly 15-64 years) who offer themselves for employment. It includes both the employed and the unemployed who are actively seeking work.
• Labour turnover: the rate at which workers leave a firm and are replaced by new ones.
• Mobility of labour: the ease with which workers can move between places (geographical mobility) or between jobs and occupations (occupational mobility).

Step 3: Match the definition The key phrases are "qualified to work" and "offer themselves for employment". These describe the size of the available labour force, not movement of workers (A, D) or the rate of workers leaving a firm (C). Only working population fits.

Step 4: Answer The correct option is B. Working population.

Exam tip: Whenever a question mentions people who are able and willing to work, think "working population" or "labour force". Words like moving, relocating or changing jobs point to migrant labour or mobility of labour, and leaving and replacing workers in a firm points to labour turnover.