labor market

American  

noun

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

---

labor market Cultural  

1. 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

“After all, the insurance was to protect against a weaker labor market that seems to no longer exist.”

From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026

Now, with the labor market showing promising signs, the rotation trade that violently gripped the stock market before the Iran war looks to be back on — just with a slightly updated look.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 7, 2026

The labor market balances companies’ demand for workers against the supply of people available to work.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026

And finally, they examine why Spain’s unemployment rate has dropped significantly and what that tells us about the relationship between immigration and the labor market.

From Slate • Jun. 6, 2026

With men being absorbed into the military services, with women already in demand by eager employers, the labor market was as exhausted as the war workers themselves.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly