skilled labor
Americannoun
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labor that requires special training for its satisfactory performance.
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the workers employed in such labor.
Etymology
Origin of skilled labor
First recorded in 1770–80
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Flush with profits and buoyed by steadily rising sales, businesses have little need to cut jobs, especially when the supply of skilled labor is so low.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026
Some tech leaders attribute the drop in industry employment mostly to overhiring following the pandemic, when skilled labor was hard to obtain and retain.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 1, 2026
Only a handful of emerging economies combine digital capability, a skilled labor force, and a meaningful export base in tech.
From Barron's • Dec. 22, 2025
Beijing disclosed several years ago that the shortage of skilled labor in key manufacturing sectors could reach 30 million this year.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 25, 2025
Students must be trained to perform specific kinds of skilled labor which has a commercial value.
From The Scrap Book. Volume 1, No. 2 April 1906 by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
