labor market

American

noun

the available supply of labor considered with reference to the demand for it.

labor market Cultural

An area of economic exchange in which workers seek jobs and employers seek workers. A “tight” labor market has more jobs than workers. In a “slack” labor market, the reverse is true.

Etymology

Origin of labor market

First recorded in 1825–35

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.

See Examples For:

labor market

While AI can “be great for economic growth,” Amodei said, it is “not so great for the labor market or those who are left behind.”

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

According to Managing Director William Lees-Jones, rising costs have curbed hiring and prompted the company to favor experienced workers over those seeking their first foothold in the labor market.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

These include U.K. labor market figures Tuesday and inflation data set to be released on Wednesday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

The report also highlighted anemic wage growth, which he said goes against the notion that the labor market is tightening.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026

Yet wages for people near the bottom of the labor market remain fairly flat, even “stagnant.”

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023