skilled labor

American  

noun

1. labor that requires special training for its satisfactory performance.

2. the workers employed in such labor.

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Etymology

Origin of skilled labor

First recorded in 1770–80

Example Sentences

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

Massive data-center and chip-factory projects expose severe shortfalls in skilled labor.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 8, 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

If we reframe parenthood as a form of skilled labor instead of an innate instinct, we can find room for both men and women to excel as parents.

From Slate • Jun. 15, 2025

So long as this system continues, she adds, skilled labor is impossible.

From Working Women of Japan by Gulick, Sidney Lewis