labor force

[ley-ber fawrs]

noun

1. workforce.

2. (in the United States) the body of people who are at least 16 years old and are either employed or available for employment.

Word History and Origins

Origin of labor force¹

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

“No rational trader would take that trade. Yet we wonder why labor force participation lags. It’s not a mystery. It’s math.”

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Since America’s founding, new ideas and innovations have reshaped what work looks like in this country, as well as how our labor force is compensated and protected while performing their jobs.

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The headline unemployment rate ticked up 0.1 percentage point, to 4.4% in September, but that reflected more people entering the labor force, a good thing.

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The headline unemployment rate ticked up 0.1 percentage point, to 4.4% in September, but that reflected more people entering the labor force, a good thing.

Read more on Barron's

The unemployment rate, which is based on a separate survey from the jobs figures, rose slightly to 4.4%, reaching the highest level in four years as nearly half a million people joined the labor force.

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Related Words

• labor pool www.thesaurus.com
• personnel 
• workforce