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
In terms of skilled labor, electricians have added more positions than average since 2021.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 23, 2026
Massive data-center and chip-factory projects expose severe shortfalls in skilled labor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 8, 2026
It’s harder to find skilled labor and there is now a lengthy wait list for equipment, said Deysel, a geophysicist and mining engineer who has previously worked at various mines across Africa.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 27, 2026
Foreign competition has increased, and the high cost of skilled labor in this country has made competition in this consumer-product field increasingly difficult.
From The Invention of the Sewing Machine by Cooper, Grace Rogers
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.
