Relative Surplus Population, a part of the able-bodied population permanently existing in capitalist society which cannot sell its labour power and is doomed to unemployment. This surplus population is relative because labour power is excessive only when compared with the demand for it on the part of capital. Relative surplus population is inevitable and permanent, operating as an economic law of capitalism (see Law of Population Under Capitalism), since technical progress, which under capitalism leads to a relative decline in the demand for labour power, is permanent. The constant capital expended on the means of production in connection with technical progress grows more rapidly than the variable capital spent on buying labour power. The increase of the army of unemployed is speeded up by the growing intensification of labour and the increasing use of female labour. With the overall increase in relative surplus population its concrete scope depends on the phases of the capitalist cycle. The frequency and the duration of crises result in a stable increase of relative surplus population. Partial unemployment is also built into modern capitalism, i. e., forced unemployment during a part of the work time connected with the chronic underloading of production capacities (see Underloading of Enterprises, Chronic). Mounting relative surplus population is an important social factor demonstrating the actual lack of rights of workers in capitalist society and steadily undermining its pillars. Relative surplus population exists in three forms: floating surplus population, agrarian (latent) surplus population and stagnant surplus population. Relative surplus population is eliminated with the transition to socialism.