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.
Friday's figures showed the labor force participation rate -- a key metric -- had dropped to its lowest level since the height of pandemic-related closures.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
But if he is right, the economy will be relying on a smaller labor force for the growth it needs to support an increasing number of older people.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
Black women have suffered a disproportionate amount of this pain; more than 300,000 have left the labor force since June 2025.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
Abernathy’s plight is familiar to many job seekers, especially younger ones who’ve entered the labor force in the past few years.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 11, 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.
