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.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
Statistics Canada each month publishes a labor force survey that samples about 65,000 households.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 8, 2026
Dan North, senior economist at Allianz Trade, told AFP the drop in the labor force participation rate was a significant development.
From Barron's • Jul. 2, 2026
Similarly, California recorded a 5.3% unemployment rate in May, on par with April, despite a drop in the labor force.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 25, 2026
The straightforward intent of Title VII was to outlaw racial discrimination in the labor force, where blacks were being kept out of jobs and denied promotions.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 23, 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.
