layoff

American  

[lay-awf, -of] / ˈleɪˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

noun

• layoffs
  plural

1. the act of dismissing employees, especially temporarily.

2. a period of enforced unemployment or inactivity.

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layoff Cultural  

1. The temporary or permanent removal of a worker from his or her job, usually because of cutbacks in production or corporate reorganization.

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Usage

What’s the difference between layoff and furlough? A layoff is usually a permanent removal from a job. A furlough is a temporary release of a worker from their job, typically with the expectation that they will be asked to return. Both words can also be used as verbs. An organization can lay off employees or furlough them. The adjective forms are laid off and furloughed. The word layoff is typically used in the context of a company permanently letting go workers due to economic reasons (such as not being able to afford to pay them) as opposed to performance reasons (employees let go for poor performance are typically said to have been fired). A furlough typically involves an employer requiring an employee to stop working for a period of time during which they will not get paid—though furloughed workers sometimes keep their benefits, such as health insurance. Furloughs can happen during government shutdowns or when a company does not need certain employees for a certain period of time but expects to need them back after that period ends. Here’s an example of layoff and furlough used correctly in a sentence. Example: A furlough is not ideal, but at least it’s temporary—the company is doing it to avoid layoffs. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between layoff and furlough.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• layoffs
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of layoff

1885–90, noun use of verb phrase lay off

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Explanation

When a company informs a group of workers that their employment is terminated, it's called a layoff. In most cases, layoffs are a way for a business to save money. When the word layoff was coined in the 1880s, it meant "rest or relaxation." It evolved to be defined as "periodic respite from work," like a break for seasonal workers, and then "temporary release from employment." Employers began using it as a euphemism for "permanently firing people," a way to make it sound less harsh. Today when someone mentions layoffs, they're not temporary, unless they're specifically described that way.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

layoff layoffs

Call it the era of the looming layoff.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

I currently work at a company that matches contributions, which is a great benefit, but I’m curious if there are better options, especially for someone always expecting the next layoff and potential career pivots.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026

Friday’s move represents the first layoff action under Barr, but it was CarMax’s third round of job cuts in less than a year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

The latest blow to McClatchy’s newsrooms came last week when Chatham sent layoff notices to more than 90 unionized journalists and media workers at 17 publications in California and elsewhere across the country.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

Francie had been working two weeks when the layoff came.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith

Keck Medicine of USC took a significant hit in the layoffs after running a deficit in the tens of millions in recent years.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

Plus, a massive round of layoffs and leadership shake-ups took place this week, affecting about 6 percent of Netflix’s staff—its deepest workforce cut in four years.

From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026

Netflix is cutting 6% of its staff, or roughly 1,000 workers, biggest round of layoffs since 2022.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

The number of positions Netflix is eliminating—6% of its staff—as part of its biggest round of layoffs since 2022.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

Wage reductions and layoffs stoked unrest among workers nationwide.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

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Related Words

• cutback
• unemployment

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