full employment

British  

noun

1. a state in which the labour force and other economic resources of a country are utilized to their maximum

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full employment Cultural  

1. The condition that exists when all who want work can find jobs. Because some individuals will always be between jobs, full employment does not mean that one hundred percent of the workforce is employed. Rather, it is customarily defined as ninety-six percent of the total potential workforce.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

full employment

According to supporters, Greenspan’s theories about full employment, rising incomes and only moderate inflation helped make life better for millions of Americans who hadn’t fully shared in previous bursts of economic prosperity.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026

The statement stressed the Fed’s commitment to price stability, but not the full employment mandate, suggesting inflation is the focus and that interest-rate cuts are off the table for now.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 19, 2026

Mainstream monetary economists for generations have operated on a theory—encapsulated by the Phillips Curve and its many iterations—that there exists a trade-off between full employment and price stability.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026

Unemployment is near full employment, and inflation pressures are broad-based and now compounded by energy prices, she said.

From Barron's ● May 1, 2026

The machine reached the foot of the hill and slowed down to pass through the city streets before either Emory or Helen broke the silence, yet it was evident that their minds found full employment.

From The Spell by Orcutt, William Dana