workforce
gb/wˈɚkfˌɔɹs/ us/wˈɚkfˌɔɹs/
B2
English
~ 5700
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
entity
1
all employees of a company
All the workers in one company or organization.
Usage pattern:
[organization]'s workforce
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "workforces" when talking about one company. In most cases you should say "the workforce" or "its workforce" for a single organization. Learners also mix up "workforce" and "work place"; "workforce" means the people, not the location.
Synonyms
staff (Often suggests the people working in an office or organization; very common in business contexts.)
|
employees (Focuses on the legal status as people employed; less of a collective feel than "workforce".)
|
personnel (More formal; often used in HR or official contexts.)
Antonyms
vacancies (Refers to unfilled jobs, which are the opposite of positions already filled by a workforce.)
Collocations
company workforce
|corporate workforce
|skilled workforce
|diverse workforce
|workforce planning
|workforce reduction
Themes
business
|employment
|management
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The company plans to expand its workforce by 20 percent next year.
- During the merger, the combined workforce reached nearly 10,000 employees.
- Management is investing heavily in training the existing workforce.
- The hospital relies on a highly skilled nursing workforce.
- Automation could reduce the size of the factory's workforce.
Learner examples
- The bank has a large workforce in the city.
- Our school needs to increase its teaching workforce.
- The new manager wants to train the whole workforce.
- The company cut its workforce after sales went down.
- We are proud of our diverse workforce.
Noun
B2
entity
2
working or work-ready population
All the people in a country, area, or group who have a job or can work.
Usage pattern:
the [country/industry] workforce
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "workforce" to talk about just one or two workers. In this sense, "workforce" is a large group, usually on the level of a country, region, industry, or age group. For one person, say "worker" or "employee" instead.
Synonyms
labor force (Very common term in economics and statistics; emphasizes economic analysis rather than everyday company talk.)
|
working population (Highlights the idea of a population group; more descriptive and slightly more formal.)
Antonyms
non-working population (Covers people who are not employed and not seeking employment, opposite to those in the workforce.)
Collocations
national workforce
|global workforce
|aging workforce
|female workforce
|youth workforce
|rural workforce
Themes
economics
|employment
|society
|business
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- An aging workforce is putting pressure on the pension system.
- Women now make up nearly half of the national workforce.
- The country is investing in education to create a more skilled workforce.
- Automation is expected to reshape the global workforce over the next decade.
- Only a small share of the rural workforce has access to formal employment.
Learner examples
- The country needs a strong workforce for its economy.
- Many young people are entering the workforce this year.
- The government wants to train the rural workforce.
- More women are part of the workforce than before.
- An older workforce can cause problems for the health system.
Grammar
Dictionary form
workforce
IPA
GB/wˈɚkfˌɔɹs/
US/wˈɚkfˌɔɹs/
Syllables & stress
work - force (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (work)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: workforce
- Plural: workforces
Word family
Forms
workforces
noun
Related words
Negative and opposite forms
unemployed
adjective B1
unemployment
noun B1
Advanced or less common
underemployed
adjective
underemployment
noun
Expressions
enter the workforce
1/ˈɛntɚ ðə wˈɚkfˌɔɹs/
fixed phrase
start working in paid jobs
To start working in a paid job, especially for the first time in your life or after being a student.
Examples
- Many graduates enter the workforce with high levels of student debt.
- She entered the workforce at 18 instead of going to university.
- More people are entering the workforce later because they study longer.
join the workforce
1/d͡ʒˈɔɪn ðə wˈɚkfˌɔɹs/
fixed phrase
begin being part of employed people
To start being one of the people who have a job, often after school, training, or a break from work.
Examples
- Many mothers choose to join the workforce again when their children start school.
- He joined the workforce straight after high school.
- Immigrants often face barriers when they try to join the workforce.
leave the workforce
1/lˈiv ðə wˈɚkfˌɔɹs/
fixed phrase
stop working for a long time
To stop working in paid jobs, usually for a long time or for the rest of your life.
Examples
- Many people leave the workforce in their early sixties.
- She left the workforce to take care of her parents.
- More workers are leaving the workforce early due to health problems.
re-enter the workforce
1/ɹˈi ˈɛntɚ ðə wˈɚkfˌɔɹs/
fixed phrase
return to paid employment
To start working in a paid job again after you stopped for some time.
Examples
- She re-entered the workforce after a five-year break to raise her children.
- Training programs can help older workers re-enter the workforce.
- After recovering from his illness, he was eager to re-enter the workforce.