labor force
Americannoun
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labor forces
plural
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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.
The last time that happened was 57 years ago, in 1969, when the U.S. labor force was much smaller.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
Lots of people have also dropped out of the labor force entirely.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
As an American, as an artist and as a former member of its labor force, I understand that the Kennedy Center is more than a building.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
The agents were seeking information like Thai labor force statistics and dermatological data from Australia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
It was no better than being condemned to the garment-center labor force.
From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers
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.
