layoff

[ley-awf, -of]

noun

1. the act of dismissing employees, especially temporarily.

2. a period of enforced unemployment or inactivity.

layoff

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of layoff¹

1885–90, noun use of verb phrase lay off

Example Sentences

Separately, the Labor Department released updated weekly jobless claims that suggest layoffs didn’t rise sharply during the government shutdown, which ended last week.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal reported last week on Verizon’s plans for sizable layoffs.

Read more on MarketWatch

A bevy of large companies have recently announced large layoffs, possibly a sign of further weakness in the labor market.

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Officials said they did not yet have details on whether the changes would bring further job cuts at the Education Department, which has been thinned by waves of layoffs and retirements under pressure.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Budgets have been slashed, layoffs have been rampant, production costs have soared and morale has plummeted as audiences have been recalibrating their entertainment options.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cutback 
• unemployment 

When To Use

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.