labor market

American  

noun

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

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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.

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Etymology

Origin of labor market

First recorded in 1825–35

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

labor market

Winograd notes that payrolls’ medium-term average “continues to point to a labor market that is solid but not exceptionally strong.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2026

An improving labor market and rapidly growing economy could help seal the deal.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 9, 2026

It would likely take a sharp deterioration in the labor market to dissuade them from raising rates when they next meet in December.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

But, as Jeffry Bartash explains, the U.S. labor market has been remarkably steady, even if hiring remains sluggish.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026

A half an hour or so of Web research revealed an agreeably tight labor market, with entry-level jobs advertised at $8 an hour or more and studio apartments for $400 or less.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich

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