labor force
Americannoun
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(in the United States) the body of people who are at least 16 years old and are either employed or available for employment.
Etymology
Origin of labor force
First recorded in 1880–85
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As fewer young people enter the labor force, there are fewer active taxpayers to support each beneficiary at a time when people are living longer — and taking benefits for longer.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026
Getting a plant opened is just the first step, with the U.S. needing trade schools and other ways to re-skill the labor force, as well as ways to create an ecosystem of suppliers.
From Barron's • May 26, 2026
In 1975 a second income often sat in reserve—a nonworking parent who could enter the labor force if needed.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
Between 2021 and 2025, their share of the labor force rose to 10% from 8%, an increase of 4.2 million workers.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
They slipped in and out of the box of peeling gray, making no stir in the neighborhood, no sound in the labor force, and no wave in the mayor’s office.
From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
