Constant capital#Variable capital

Variable capital referred to in the theory of Karl Marx, the labor costs of employees working in production workers. The pay is the price of the commodity labor power, which buy the capitalists by the workers. This value of labor power is determined here by the average labor-time necessary for its production, which is the life and maintenance costs of the individual wage worker and the wage working class.

Unlike constant capital provides the variable capital according to the Marxian theory of surplus value ( the origin of profit is the exploitation of workers ) a value. The added value, in Marx's original value corresponds, according to the labor theory of value to the length of time worked. After deduction of the variable capital of the original value of the added value remains.