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

Example Sentences

“The labor market is softening, wage growth is already below the pace that would be consistent with 2% inflation, and inflation expectations are well anchored.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026

The aim would be to bolster a stagnant labor market and drum up demand in key areas of the economy such as housing that have suffered from high borrowing costs.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026

The steady trend in unemployment claims shows the labor market has remained in a remarkable stasis, with limited layoffs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

The disparity may suggest that investors see layoffs, AI-driven or not, as targeted cost-cutting rather than a warning sign for the labor market.

From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026

Yet wages for people near the bottom of the labor market remain fairly flat, even “stagnant.”

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