workforce
Americannoun
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the total number of workers in a specific undertaking.
a holiday for the company's workforce.
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the total number of people employed or employable.
a sharp increase in the nation's workforce.
noun
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the total number of workers employed by a company on a specific job, project, etc
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the total number of people who could be employed
the country's workforce is growing rapidly
Etymology
Origin of workforce
First recorded in 1940–45; work ( def. ) + force ( def. )
Explanation
The term workforce is useful when you talk about a group of people who work or are available to work. You might, for example, talk about the information technology workforce or the workforce in Austin, Texas. When you use the noun workforce, you are always talking about a lot of people, and you're usually referring to everyone in a particular industry or area. Economists often discuss the entire country's workforce, and you've probably heard about the auto industry workforce or the nursing workforce on the news. Workforce can be a singular or plural word, since it's used for a group of many individuals. It's been in use since the early 1960's.
Vocabulary lists containing workforce
The Modern Period, c. 1750 to c. 1914
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"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 8
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Employment, List 3
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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.
While the company did not comment on the matter, TD Cowen analyst Derrick Wood estimated that between 10,000 and 15,000 employees, or 6% to 9% of the workforce, were affected.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
Now about 30% of the U.S. workforce, they are on track to become the biggest segment in coming years, Wartzman says.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
Both rich and poorer countries are grappling with declining birth rates which lead to aging societies and a shrinking workforce -- putting strain on social security systems and potentially dampening economic growth and productivity.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
The child-care industry has faced a challenging employment landscape — a shrinking workforce.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
The communities and schools from which they come fail to prepare them for the workforce, and once they have been labeled criminals, their job prospects are forever bleak.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
