layoff

American  

[ley-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

Etymology

Origin of layoff

1885–90, noun use of verb phrase lay off

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

After a surprise layoff by a fintech company five months ago, Abernathy blasted out a bunch of resumes, but that didn’t turn up much.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 11, 2026

As a former writer for his employer’s website, Abnernathy links his layoff — as well as pink slips for two dozen former colleagues — to AI’s rise.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 11, 2026

Not Williams’s layoff, not the comeback, not the Super Bowl-style fuss, and certainly not Williams’s decision to accept a wild card to return to singles at Wimbledon.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

In the second year, the impact would be the layoff 17 to 35 officers, depending upon how the language of the board action is interpreted.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026

Francie had been working two weeks when the layoff came.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith

Both the pandemic and several waves of corporate layoffs since mean that many more people look like job hoppers these days—and that employers are scrutinizing their job history, recruiters say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

The U.S. economy may appear vibrant, based on headlines about the low unemployment rate, the slow pace of layoffs, an apparent slowdown in inflation and the stock market hitting record highs.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

Work has also been making you stay later, ever since the company started doing layoffs, which also makes it harder for you to get your daily 10,000 steps in.

From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026

The announcements follow a filing on June 23 for 57 layoffs at a facility in San Diego.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

Three weeks after V-J Day, the Norfolk Journal and Guide reported layoffs of 1,500 Newport News shipyard workers and a “decrease for women workers, both white and colored.”

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

Related Words

• cutback
• unemployment