layoff

American  

[ley-awf, -of] / ˈleɪˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

noun

• layoffs
  plural

1. the act of dismissing employees, especially temporarily.

2. a period of enforced unemployment or inactivity.

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layoff Cultural  

1. The temporary or permanent removal of a worker from his or her job, usually because of cutbacks in production or corporate reorganization.

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Usage

What’s the difference between layoff and furlough? A layoff is usually a permanent removal from a job. A furlough is a temporary release of a worker from their job, typically with the expectation that they will be asked to return. Both words can also be used as verbs. An organization can lay off employees or furlough them. The adjective forms are laid off and furloughed. The word layoff is typically used in the context of a company permanently letting go workers due to economic reasons (such as not being able to afford to pay them) as opposed to performance reasons (employees let go for poor performance are typically said to have been fired). A furlough typically involves an employer requiring an employee to stop working for a period of time during which they will not get paid—though furloughed workers sometimes keep their benefits, such as health insurance. Furloughs can happen during government shutdowns or when a company does not need certain employees for a certain period of time but expects to need them back after that period ends. Here’s an example of layoff and furlough used correctly in a sentence. Example: A furlough is not ideal, but at least it’s temporary—the company is doing it to avoid layoffs. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between layoff and furlough.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• layoffs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of layoff

1885–90, noun use of verb phrase lay off

Explanation

When a company informs a group of workers that their employment is terminated, it's called a layoff. In most cases, layoffs are a way for a business to save money. When the word layoff was coined in the 1880s, it meant "rest or relaxation." It evolved to be defined as "periodic respite from work," like a break for seasonal workers, and then "temporary release from employment." Employers began using it as a euphemism for "permanently firing people," a way to make it sound less harsh. Today when someone mentions layoffs, they're not temporary, unless they're specifically described that way.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

layoff layoffs

The country’s largest bank filed six layoff notices between February and July, impacting nearly 800 employees in Texas, New Jersey, and California.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

The lawsuit alleges that Meta used a range of AI-assisted systems to score, rank and select employees to include on its layoff list.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

After a surprise layoff by a fintech company five months ago, Abernathy blasted out a bunch of resumes, but that didn’t turn up much.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 11, 2026

San José tech company Cisco plans to cut 471 workers in three Bay Area offices, according to layoff notices filed to a state agency.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026

But after the long international layoff, and playing every game under grueling conditions, he likely considered his second-place showing somewhat acceptable.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

He acknowledged that the merger would bring some layoffs due to overlapping roles of the now merged workforce.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

Following its 2022 acquisition of the note-taking app Evernote, the company implemented sharp subscription price increases alongside layoffs in the US and Chile.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

I run a company that tracks layoffs caused by artificial intelligence, and every month I look at spreadsheets that show my generation losing entry-level jobs faster than anyone anticipated.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

The U.S. economy may appear vibrant, based on headlines about the low unemployment rate, the slow pace of layoffs, an apparent slowdown in inflation and the stock market hitting record highs.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

Rival trainers who claimed horses from Irwin sometimes found them so exhausted that they had to give them long layoffs before they were capable of running again.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

Related Words

• cutback
• unemployment