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.
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 decline in the unemployment rate came with an asterisk: The labor force shrank by nearly 400,000 people, meaning fewer Americans were counted as unemployed.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
In the longer run, the labor force could continue to shrink.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026
With more people exiting the labor force, the so-called participation rate fell in March to 61.9%, to mark the lowest level in nearly five years.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026
Job creation and labor force growth have both slowed, even as the unemployment rate has remained low at 4.4%.
From Barron's • Mar. 27, 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.
